New Music Reviews (1/27)

Each week, KEXP’s Music Director Don Yates (joined this week by DJ Alex) shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Wolf Parade, Torres, Okay Kaya, and more.

Wolf Parade – Thin Mind (Sub Pop)
This Vancouver Island-based band’s fifth album is a strong set of anthemic, synth-heavy post-punk combining angular keyboards, buzzing guitars and driving rhythms with alternating lead vocals and anxiety-fueled lyrics revolving around the oversaturation of technology and the destruction of nature. — DY

Torres – Silver Tongue (Merge)
The fourth album from this Macon, GA-raised, Brooklyn-based artist (aka Mackenzie Scott) is a sharply crafted set of emotionally intense indie-pop combining buzzing guitars and gauzy synths with her impassioned vocals and deeply personal lyrics revolving around love and desire. — DY

(Various) – The Turning soundtrack (KRO/Sony Music)
This soundtrack to the new horror film is comprised of 19 previously unreleased, often ‘90s-steeped songs from a stellar lineup including Mitski, Soccer Mommy, girl in red, Empress Of, Vagabon, Cherry Glazerr, Warpaint, Kali Uchis, Alice Glass, Alison Mosshart, Kim Gordon, Courtney Love, and other notables. — DY

Okay Kaya – Watch This Liquid Pour Itself (Jagjaguwar)
The second album from this Brooklyn-based Norwegian artist (aka Kaya Wilkins) is a well-crafted blend of intimate bedroom-pop, spare folk-pop, torch ballads, dreamy dance-pop and more, combining buoyant melodies with often self-deprecating lyrics revolving around sex, anxiety and depression. — DY

Andy Shauf – The Neon Skyline (ANTI-)
This Toronto-via-Regina, Saskatchewan artist’s latest album is a masterfully crafted concept album revolving around going out for drinks and finding out an ex- has moved back to town, combining a warm, guitar-based folk-pop sound with keyboards and occasional clarinet and oboe with his modest vocals and richly detailed, emotionally resonant lyrics reflecting on lost love. — DY

(Various) – Speedy Wunderground: Year 4 (Speedy Wunderground)
This influential British label celebrates their fourth anniversary with this compilation featuring eight singles released between April 2018 and June 2019. It’s all pretty great, ranging from the noise-addled post-punk of Black Midi and Squid to the dreamy psych-rock of Tiña and the jittery funk of All We Are & Alex Kapranos. — DY

Bonny Light Horseman – Bonny Light Horseman (37d03d)
The debut album from this trio comprised of Anais Mitchell, Josh Kaufman, and Fruit Bats’ Eric D. Johnson is a promising set of mostly traditional folk songs reimagined with fresh arrangements and occasional added lyrics, combining an often-spacious, acoustic-oriented sound with soaring harmonies and haunting melodies. — DY

Mura Masa – R.Y.C. (Polydor/Anchor Point)
The second album from this London DJ/producer (aka Alex Crossan) is a diverse blend of emotive electro-pop with rock, folk, hip hop and more, highlighted by guest vocal contributions from Clairo, slowthai, Georgia and Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell. — DY

Nicolas Godin – Concrete and Glass (Because Music)
The second solo album from this French musician best-known for being one-half of Air is an atmospheric blend of eerie electro-pop and lush orchestral pop, with occasional guest vocals from Kate NV, Kadjha Bonet, Kirin J Callinan, Cola Boyy and Alexis Taylor. — DY

Lorelle Meets The Obsolete – De Facto (Sonic Cathedral)
This Mexican duo’s fifth album is an adventurous set of psych-rock ranging from fuzzy dream-pop and driving post-punk to haunting incantations and noisy guitar jams. — DY

Jeff Parker – Suite For Max Brown (International Anthem)
Recorded as a tribute to his mother, the latest release from the Tortoise multi-instrumentalist is an expansive set blending cinematic jazz with funk, electronic, Afro-beat, hip hop and more through a combination of sampled and live instrumentation. — DY

Wire – Mind Hive (pinkflag)
This veteran British band’s latest album is a diverse and adventurous set ranging from jagged post-punk and driving synth-pop to airy psych-rock and hypnotic dirges. — DY

L’Épée – Diabolique (‘a’)
The debut album from this band comprised of French actress Emmanuelle Seigner on vocals along with French garage duo The Limiñanas and Brian Jonestown Massacre frontman Anton Newcombe is a potent blend of trippy psych and energetic garage-rock, combining buzzing guitars and keyboards with chugging rhythms and hypnotic melodies. — DY

ShitKid – Duo Limbo/”Mellan himmel å helvete” (PNKSLM Recordings)
This Swedish duo’s latest album was recorded during sessions with Butthole Surfers’ Paul Leary and veteran noise rockers Melvins. It’s a potent if brief set of noise-addled garage-punk, with English versions of the album’s five songs (four really, since one’s a spoken interlude) being followed by Swedish versions of the same songs. — DY

Calibro 35 – Momentum (Record Kicks)
This Italian band’s seventh album is another cinematic, mostly instrumental blend of psych-rock, funk, soul and more. — DY

Mr. Elevator – Goodbye, Blue Sky (Castle Face)
The third album from this LA band led by Oh Sees keyboardist Tomas Dolas is an evocative set of ‘60s-steeped psych-pop with an atmospheric, otherworldly sound combining lush keyboards with airy vocals and wistful melodies. — DY

Carla dal Forno – Look Up Sharp (Kallista)
The second full-length album from Berlin-based Australian musician Carla dal Forno is another sharp set of haunting No Wave, skeletal synth-pop, brooding trip-hop, shadowy art-pop, and hypnotic lo-fi folk. — AR

Madison McFerrin – You + I (self-released)
The latest EP from Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Madison McFerrin marks her first solo release to feature fully-fleshed out songs with production following previous EPs that were purely a cappella. Now accented by lush backdrops produced by her brother Taylor McFerrin, You + I is a riveting set of soulful, silky, synth-enhanced R&B that showcases her magnetizing voice as well as her evolving sound. — AR

Biig Piig – No Place For Patience, Vol. 3 (Sony)
The third EP from rising London-based vocalist Jess Smyth (aka Biig Piig) is another solid set of moody, smoky, sultry R&B that finds her whispery delivery and bi-lingual vocals often supported by sleepy lo-fi hip-hop instrumental beats. Early lead single "Roses and Gold" veers away from her distinctive slow-motion aesthetic for a more polished pop sound that's an immediate highlight. — AR