New Music Reviews (7/15)

Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder (joined this week by Diana Ratsamee, host of Eastern Echoes) share 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 Clairo, Remi Wolf, Brijean, and more. 

Clairo - Charm (Virgin)
The third studio album from the Atlanta-based singer-songwriter exudes a sense of effortless magnetism. Combining bossa nova, psych and distinct Laurel Canyon influences with her signature bedroom pop style, Charm floats from track to track as each dreamy, breathy note sung atop lush instrumentals draws the listener deeper into its enchanting atmosphere. This album clearly signifies a new era for Clairo, showcasing an exciting evolution for the beloved musician. –CS

Remi Wolf - Big Ideas (Island)
The sophomore album from the LA-based singer-songwriter is a stunning display of pop perfection, infused with flavors of disco, indie-rock and psych. Co-producing with a number of standouts from Kenny Beats to Solomonophonic, Wolf expertly traverses across a dynamic and diverse soundscape, flexing her keen melodic vision, emotive lyrics and countless bona fide bops. Big Ideas showcases a confident artist with a clear point of view and begs for many repeat listens this summer. –CS

Brijean - Macro (Ghostly International)
The new album from LA outfit Brijean lives up to its title Macro by delivering a larger-than-life experience. Their expansive technicolor fusion spans across all areas of pop, including psych, 60s influences, avant-garde, jazz, disco and house. This eclectic blend yields an all-encompassing soundscape with hooks for days and expert production as the duo playfully and introspectively examines “the paradox of being alive”. –CS

Cassandra Jenkins - My Light, My Destroyer (Dead Oceans)
The third studio album from New York-based multidisciplinary artist Cassandra Jenkins is simply breathtaking, meant to fill the listener’s heart and soul to the brim. Through guitar-driven indie-rock compositions enriched by a jazz sensibility and cascading walls of ambient sound including field recordings, horns, strings and piano, she weaves a rich sonic tapestry on My Light, My Destroyer. Jenkins gorgeously oscillates between singing and spoken word while poetically examining the complexities of existence from her singular perspective, leaving a lasting impression. –CS

Common & Pete Rock - The Auditorium Vol. 1 (Loma Vista)
The collaborative album from Common & Pete Rock is a meeting of two masterful minds. Featuring Common’s signature flows complemented by Pete Rock’s flawless production, The Auditorium Vol.1 showcases these two stalwarts at the top of their respective games. The lyricism delves deep into Chicago culture and themes of faith, set against hypnotic beats and classic scratches. With “Vol. 1” appended to the album title, one can only hope this is the first of many epic collaborations from these two legends. ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED? –CS

Font - Strange Burden (Acrophase Records)
The exhilarating debut from Austin-based quintet Font DELIVERS. Their noisy art-rock strikes a perfect balance between chaos and precision, as frontman Thom Waddill’s urgent vocal delivery bobs and weaves through these seven brilliant tracks. The album features big guitars, dynamic synths, dual drums and excellent hooks that create a sound that is both buoyant and weighty. Strange Burden marks a thrilling proper arrival for Font, showcasing their exceptional talent. –CS

Girl Ultra - blush EP (Big Dada)
The new EP from Mexico City’s Girl Ultra is an exhilarating fusion of club, alternative R&B, indie-pop and garage featuring intoxicating beats. With her rich, sultry vocals, she explores themes of attraction, desire, and modern femininity on this compelling EP that effectively teases listeners, leaving them eager for a full album. –CS

KOKOKO! - BUTU (Transgressive)
The sophomore album from Congolese duo KOKOKO! is an enthralling fusion of post-punk, electronic elements and traditional African sounds. Translated to “the night” in Lingala, BUTU is a gripping listen that captures the vibrant and chaotic late-night atmosphere of Kinshasa, delivering twelve energetic tracks filled with driving precision, dynamic synths and a lively vocal performance. –CS

Wild Powwers - Pop Hits & Total Bummers Vol. 5 (Nadine Records/Den Tapes)
The fifth album from Seattle outfit Wild Powwers showcases their signature style with sludgy, ripping guitars, propulsive drum work and Lara Hilgemann’s commanding vocals. On Pop Hits & Total Bummers Vol. 5 the trio takes listeners on a riveting ride with grunge infused pop hooks and tinges of psych for an album that is decidedly all hits and no bummers. –CS

Wilco - Hot Sun Cool Shroud EP (dBpm)
Released in conjunction with their Solid Sound Festival, Jeff Tweedy & co deliver a solid set of new songs recorded during the sessions for 2023’s Cousin. Ranging from classic Wilco Americana tinged alt-rock with impeccable hooks to inventive, experimental jams, ‘Hot Sun Cool Shroud’ is an essential companion piece that couldn’t arrive at a better time. –CS

Armlock - Seashell Angel Lucky Charm (Run For Cover)
The second release from this Australian duo composed of Simon Lam (aka Nearly Oratorio, also one-half of Ghostly International duo Kllo and an in-demand producer) and Hamish Mitchell is an absorbing and low-key addictive mini-album of tender indie rock jams full of loosely intricate guitar lines, dreamy melodies, steady rhythms, alluring production flourishes, and an minimal-yet-engaging sound that quickly recalls Pinback, Alex G, and Hovvdy. The opening four songs of ‘Seashell Angel Lucky Charm’ is a truly impressive run. –AR

Cigarettes After Sex - X’s (Partisan)
The third studio album from Cigarettes After Sex is a tranquil and seductive exploration of classic pop with deceptively subtle hooks. The ten blissed-out tracks on X’s are characterized by reverb-soaked guitars and driving bass lines that leave the listener in a state of levitation. At the heart of the album are Greg Gonzalez’s dreamy, pristine, androgynous vocals that make even the darkest emotions sound sexy as hell. –CS

Jimetta Rose & The Voices of Creation - Things Are Getting Better (Day Dreamer)
The second collaborative release between Los Angeles-based vocalist, musician, and composer Jimetta Rose (a close collaborator with Noname, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Angel Bat Dawid, Shafiq Husayn, MED, Blu, and more) and the Los Angeles community choir The Voices Of Creation is another uplifting set of celebratory gospel, joyful R&B, and spiritual jazz that finds them continuing to spread a humanistic message of faith and togetherness in troubled times. –AR

Joe Goddard - Harmonics (Domino)
The third solo album from veteran British musician, Hot Chip co-founder, and prolific collaborator Joe Goddard is an excellent set of buoyant, melodic, addictive synth-pop infused with disco, house, UK garage, hip-hop, and global funk flavors. With his deft, sleek, expansive production tying it all together, Harmonics welcomes plenty of exciting guests – Ibibio Sound Machine, Barrie, Oranje, Hayden Thorpe, Alabaster DePlume, and more – to give the record a diverse touch. –AR

ORB - Tailem Bend (Fuzz Club)
The fourth album from this Australian trio is a deep dive into heavy psychedelic grooves, prog-tinged stoner-rock, and kaleidoscopic psych-pop with fuzzy, ripping guitars, pummeling Krautrock-tinged rhythms, soaring vocals, and an undeniable pull towards the cosmos. The band’s first album since 2018’s ‘The Space Between’ and a subsequent worldwide tour opening up for King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Tailem Bend is a treat for psych fans. –AR

Sababa 5 & Yurika - Kokoro (Batov)
Tel-Aviv’s Sababa 5 combines forces with the soulful vocals of Japanese singer Yurika Hanashima for their new album Kokoro. Their debut  album on Batov Records is an exhilarating sonic journey filled with middle eastern psych funk, Japanese pop, disco, and a myriad of groovy flavors. The title track ‘Kokoro’ is a dynamite slice of afrobeat inflected psychedelic soul. As worlds collide on this highly anticipated album, listeners can expect a transcendent sonic experience, one that crosses borders and unites global sounds as one. –DR

The Dip - Love Direction (Dualtone)
The fourth studio album from the Seattle R&B/soul ensemble boasts endless grooves featuring smooth vocals, a tight rhythm section and scintillating horn arrangements. While they may have been “doing the thing for a minute”, Love Direction feels refreshingly invigorated with The Dip’s modern interpretation of classic rhythm and blues. –CS

Kiasmos - II (Erased Tapes)
Nearly ten years since releasing their acclaimed self-titled debut album, Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen return with their second full-length Kiasmos album and it’s another absorbing set of lush, propulsive, cinematic electronic grooves that puts their masterful fusion of crisp, pulsating electronic beats and sweeping orchestral flourishes on full display. –AR

Meridian Brothers - Mi Latinoamérica Sufre (Ansonia Records)
The latest album from this deceptively named project of veteran Bogotá-based composer, vocalist, producer, and multi-instrumental alchemist Eblis Álvarez is another scintillating set of colorful, quirky, vocal-laced Afro-Latin grooves conceptually centered around Álvarez’s desire to explore the untapped potential of the electric guitar in a tropical Latin context. Pulling inspiration from the guitar-led sounds of Ghanaian highlife, Nigerian Afro-beat, and Congolese rumba, Mi Latinoamérica Sufre is a heady brew of worldly styles – cumbia, champeta, soukous, Brazilian tropicalia, psychedelic rock, and more – that all weave their way into Meridian Brothers’ playful, trippy, idiosyncratic vision. –AR

Orquesta Akokán - Caracoles (Daptone)
The third album from this large Havana-based ensemble is another vibrant set of traditional Cuban mambo songs full of colorful orchestrations featuring boisterous brass, spritely piano, lively percussion, and the introduction of Kiko Ruiz, the band’s new singer and lyricist who has previously toured and recorded with Pancho Amat’s illustrious Estrellas del Buena Vista Social Club as well as Los Jovenes Clasicos del Son. –AR

RAH & The Ruffcats - Orile to Berlin (Sonar Kollektiv)
Lagos-born, Berlin-based vocalist, rapper, and songwriter Rapturous Apollo Helios (aka RAH) teams up with renowned Berlin-based eight-piece live band The Ruffcats for a vibrant set of Afrobeat, highlife, funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and more that sonically connects the dots between RAH’s Nigerian roots and Berlin’s bustling, genre-melding music scene. –AR