INXS
– X
INXS were riding the momentum of Kick—a global smash that had turned them from Australian rock exports into full-fledged pop-rock royalty. X doesn’t try to reinvent that formula so much as refine it: sleek grooves, strutting confidence, and Michael Hutchence at the height of his louche, magnetic frontman persona. It’s less rebellious than Kick, but still steeped in the band’s knack for making rock lean, danceable, and stylish.
Best of…
Tracks like “Suicide Blonde” crackle with swagger, driven by a harmonica hook that’s as unexpected as it is infectious. “Disappear” rides an airy, shimmering groove that nods toward late-’80s optimism without drowning in its gloss. “Bitter Tears” and “By My Side” reveal the band’s range—one pulsating with funk-inflected urgency, the other aching with melodic melancholy.
While some critics at the time accused X of playing it safe, its strength lies in its consistency. This is a band in full command of its identity, able to slide from dance-floor pulse to rock crunch without losing cohesion. It may not have Kick’s seismic cultural shockwave, but X proved INXS weren’t a one-album phenomenon—they were a finely tuned machine built for the long run.
Choice Tracks
Suicide Blonde
A slinky, harmonica-fueled rocker that fuses blues grit with club-ready sheen. Hutchence oozes charisma over every line.
Disappear
Effortless, breezy pop-rock with a soaring chorus that lingers long after the fade-out.
By My Side
Tender and melodic, this ballad’s understated arrangement lets the emotion take center stage.
X finds INXS doubling down on the sleek, groove-laden rock that made Kick a hit. Confident, stylish, and consistently catchy, it’s less about reinventing the wheel than proving the band’s formula still spun pure gold.