X__X: Albert Ayler's Ghosts Live at the Yellow Ghetto EP
Smog Veil
Cleveland no wavers X__X’s original lifespan was abrupt, spanning just six months in 1978, and leaving behind only two rare 7-inches. Interest in the band’s legacy, and co-founder John D. Morton’s more seminal run with the Electric Eels, led to a 2014 comeback. The band cemented its return with the Albert Ayler’s Ghosts Live at the Yellow Ghetto EP. A bulk of the eight-song, 16-minute release pieces chillingly poetic lyrics and off-kilter jazz in a puzzle that strays from traditional rock song structures and instrumentation. This disturbed art project does have its pop-accessible moments, such as the surprisingly glam “Black Leather Rock” and “Felt Hammer,” an effective take on the catchy Midwestern punk Morton’s bands continue to inspire. ★★★★☆
X_X, Obnox, and Shocked Minds play the Earl Wed., Jan. 13. $10. 8:30 p.m. 488 Flat Shoals Ave. S.E. 404-522-3950. www.badearl.com.