New Music Reviews (04/25)

Each week, Music Director Don Yates shares brief insights on new and upcoming releases for KEXP's rotation. These reviews help our DJs decide on what they want to play. See what we added this week below (and on our Charts page), including new releases from Fontaines D.C., Hatchie, Congotronics International, and more.

Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia (Partisan)
This Irish band’s third album is a more reflective and musically adventurous take on their flinty post-punk, combining a dark, sometimes shoegaze-influenced sound with disquieting lyrics of dislocation and isolation.

Hatchie – Giving the World Away (Secretly Canadian)
The second album from this Australian artist (aka Harriette Pilbeam) features a bigger, at times more dance-friendly sound for her buoyant dream-pop. Produced by Jorge Elbrecht, the album combines shimmering keyboards, fuzzy guitars, propulsive rhythms and sugary song hooks with her airy, melodic vocals and lyrics of love and blossoming self-confidence.

Congotronics International – Where's the One? (Crammed Discs)
The debut album from this global 19-member supergroup comprised of Konono No. 1, Kasai Allstars, Deerhoof, Juana Molina, Wildbirds & Peacedrums and Skeletons’ Matthew Mehlan is an impressive blend of traditional Congolese styles and experimental rock, combining a groove-driven sound with ringing electric guitars, hypnotic rhythms and a variety of vocals.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – Omnium Gatherum (KGLW)
While this prolific Australian band usually focuses on a particular musical style for each album, their latest set is a diverse, double album that encompasses many of the band’s musical interests, ranging from prog-tinged psych-rock and dreamy synth-pop to thunderous thrash metal, Beastie Boys-style hip hop and more.

Pierre Kwenders – José Louis & The Paradox of Love (Arts & Crafts)
This Congolese-born, Montreal-based artist’s third album is a well-crafted, groove-driven blend of Congolese rumba, R&B and various electronic styles, combining bright synths, propulsive rhythms, occasional ringing guitars and soaring horns with buoyant melodies and multilingual lyrics. Special guests include Shabazz Palaces’ Tendai Maraire, Arcade Fire’s Win Butler, King Britt, Branko and other notables.

Jeanines – Don’t Wait for a Sign (Slumberland)
This New York duo’s second album is a well-crafted set of breezy, folk-tinged indie-pop with jangly guitars, driving rhythms, warm harmonies, bittersweet melodies and an abundance of catchy song hooks.

Mdou Moctar – Afrique Refait (Matador)
The latest release from this Tuareg guitarist is a remix album featuring reworkings of songs from his excellent 2021 album Afrique Victime by a stellar lineup of African remixers, who often recast the source material into darker, more beat-oriented songs.

Willie Nelson – A Beautiful Time (Sony)
The 72nd solo album from the prolific country legend is a well-crafted set of autumnal country ranging from jaunty tales of camaraderie to poignant ballads of lost love and mortality.

The Lazy Eyes – SongBook (self-released)
This Australian band’s debut album is a well-crafted set of melodic psych-rock with fuzzy guitars, shimmering keyboards, airy vocals and dreamy melodies.

Taj Majal & Ry Cooder – Get On Board (Nonesuch)
While these two legendary musicians recorded together when they were in the ‘60s-era cult band Rising Sons, this is their first album together since then. It’s a loving, casual tribute to the blues duo of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee, with a relaxed, informal sound on songs ranging from acoustic-oriented folk-blues to rollicking jump blues.

MJ Lenderman – Boat Songs (Dear Life)
Jake,Lenderman is the guitarist for Asheville, NC band Wednesday. His third MJ Lenderman solo album is a potent set of country-tinged indie-rock with a lo-fi sound combining fuzzy guitars, pedal steel, occasional trumpet and other instrumentation with lyrics of searching for happiness and contentment.

Luke Winslow-King – If These Walls Could Talk (Ghost River)
This New Orleans artist’s seventh album is a well-crafted blend of southern soul, gospel, blues, folk-rock, various African influences and more, combining a rootsy sound with his warm vocals and lyrics of love and loss.

Seratones – Love & Algorhythms (New West)
This Shreveport, LA band’s third album is a well-crafted set of expansive R&B inflected with funk, disco and other styles, combining a buoyant, rhythm-driven sound with A.J. Haynes’ powerhouse vocals and lyrics revolving around resilience, joy and living in the present.

Baywitch – Apocatropia EP (Halfshell)
This Seattle trio’s latest release is a solid six-song EP of psych-tinged surf-rock with ringing guitars, energetic rhythms and apocalyptic lyrics.