Known for their indie rock scuzz-meets-growling guitar grunge, California X has announced their sophomore album Nights in the Dark. The follow up to their debut, the new album will be released January 13, 2015 via Don Giovanni Records. Justin Pizzoferrato (Dinosaur Jr, Speedy Ortiz) once again helms the engineering deck, ensuring the new record retains all the distorted overdrive of the band’s characteristic fuzzed out, hard guitar-driven sound.

Drawing on influences from 70s rock to 90s alternative, Nights in the Dark not only stimulates the senses but it allowed the quartet to delve deeper into more conceptual work, the contrast between light and dark, contentment and longing. Title track “Nights In The Dark” bursts the record open with power pop hooks and euphoric guitar.

Heavy on distorted guitar hooks and rhythms, Nights in the Dark finds the quartet exploring both mood and texture. “Red Planet” is a slow burning jam, gradually introducing percussion rolling into a wailing guitar peak, eventually leaving the embers burning out. The gravitated jam that opens “Blackrazor (pt. 1)” builds to addictive vocal harmonies and then to the manic power of “Blackrazor (pt. 2)”, followed by the gentle tapping build of instrumental cut “Garlic Road,” punctuated by spare piano chords.

Formed by friends Lemmy Gurtowsky and Dan Jones upon relocating to Amherst, MA, California X have crafted a more mature sophomore record, that find solace in a heavy, lush and melodic home with the addition of Zach Brower on guitar and Cole Lanier on drums. An introspective vision is confronted as the band maneuvers, seamlessly as ever, from fuzzy power chords to conceptual ballads.