New Music Reviews (2/10)

Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder 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 Adwaith, Biig Piig, Heartworms, and more. 

Adwaith - Solas (Libertino)
The exhilarating double album from Welsh outfit Adwaith is a rich, diverse, kaleidoscopic journey. While staying rooted in their post-punk origins, Solas finds the trio exploring a wide array of global sonic influences, from disco to Turkish rock, with bright synths, dreamy vocals, bouncy bass, and enrapturing hooks, yielding a vivid and transportive listening experience. With the Celtic title translating to “light of being” or “enlightenment”, vocalist and guitarist Hollie Singer shares: “It’s about finding that home, and that safe space, within yourself, and rediscovering what makes your inner child happy.” –CS

Biig Piig - 11:11 (Sony Music Entertainment UK)
At long last, Biig Piig unveils her debut album, and it has been worth the wait. The London-based, Cork-born singer-songwriter showcases her distinct alt-pop vision across these eleven vibrant tracks. With vocals that range from sultry to ethereal, 11:11 features infectious beats, slick (but not TOO slick) production, and lyricism revolving around self-discovery: “Every song exists in its own world, but together, they tell a story about love, fear, identity, and learning to trust yourself.”  –CS

Heartworms - Glutton For Punishment (Speedy Wunderground)
The debut album from London-based Jojo Orme — aka Heartworms — is a staggering display of her expressive darkwave. With gothic, bombastic soundscapes boasting captivating hooks, moody synths, post-punk guitars, and enticing vocal acrobatics, Heartworms sets listeners up to become gluttons for any kind of punishment she’s ready to deliver. –CS

Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory - Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory (Jagjaguwar)
Well, DAMN. Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory did not come to play with this new album — the first in which she wrote collaboratively with her bandmates. The result is a moody, alt-rock soundscape that feels larger than life, yet still intimate and evocative. Through bold, swirling arrangements with big melodies, driving basslines, dynamic synths, and Van Etten’s signature, commanding vocals, this captivating collection sinks its hooks in ya with no signs of letting go. –CS

Caroline Rose - year of the slug (self-released)
Raw, intimate, independent and emotive as hell: “everything in its right place.” Caroline Rose wears their bursting heart on their sleeve with this striking new collection, recorded in Garageband on a phone, giving fans an up-close and personal look at their artistry. With wry lyricism and compelling arrangements, these guitar-driven bedroom pop and indie-rock gems are steeped in melancholy, with an air of longing and hope, because “to feel joy, to feel pain, to feel pleasure, to feel shame, to feel it might just be okay.” –CS

chlothegod - I Feel Different Every Day (EQT Recordings)
On her second EP, the vivacious, genre-defying chlothegod keeps audiences wrapped around her finger. Across this seven-track confessional journey, she blends guitar-driven pop, R&B, hip-hop, and punk influences for a rich, intoxicating soundscape that brings surprise and delight at every corner. –CS

Helen Ganya - Share Your Care (Bella Union)
The new studio album from Brighton-based, Scottish-Thai singer-songwriter Helen Ganya is a breathtaking collaborative affair that finds Ganya bringing in sounds of her heritage and working with frequent co-producer Rob Flynn. The sonic shift, inspired by a dream about her late grandmother, results in a vibrant psych-pop soundscape crafted with traditional Thai instruments, flutes, sax and keys. Share Your Care beautifully showcases Ganya’s pristine vocals as she honors the elder women of her family and celebrates the new beginnings that can emerge from endings. –CS

Oklou - choke enough (True Panther Sounds)
The debut album from French singer-songwriter and producer Oklou is a deeply immersive experience. There’s some special alchemy on choke enough, as she seamlessly blends elements of avant-pop, alt-R&B, ambient, and breakbeat to reveal her alluring electronic fever dream. With affected vocals, experimental arrangements, and some serious synth wizardry, Oklou makes an exhilaratingly grand entrance with this stunner. –CS

Pit Pony - Dead Stars (Clue Records/EMI North)
The sophomore album from UK quintet Pit Pony is a thrilling listen, with a dynamic and assertive fusion of heavy post-punk, fuzzy garage rock, ‘60s doowop and indie-pop. Dead Stars is bursting with infectious energy that will keep listeners coming back for more. –CS

Skeleten - Mentalized (2MR/Astral People Recording)
The second album from this solo project of Sydney-based electronic producer, multi-instrumentalist, and vocalist Russell Fitzgibbon (aka Skeleten) is a sweet set of dreamy dance-pop accented with '90s-inspired trip-hop/alternative vibes, moody guitars, groovy basslines, and his hazy low-key vocals. -AR

Squid - Cowards (Warp)
UK art-rock outfit Squid triumphantly return with their third studio album, Cowards. Through frenzied arrangements featuring intricate guitars, horns, strings, harpsichord, and lively vocals, the quintet crafts a sophisticated sonic tapestry that weaves through both moments of chaos and repose — an album perfectly suited for the times. –CS

The Altons - Heartache in Room 14 (Daptone)
The debut album from LA ensemble The Altons is simply sensational. Their sweet psychedelic soul, fueled by Latin rhythms, spellbinding harmonies, and romantic lyricism, is backed by ornate soundscapes featuring strings, delicate guitars, and nuanced percussion. Heartache in Room 14 is a total vibe, inviting listeners to return frequently, clamoring for more of this intimate, tender collection. –CS

above me - above me (Dandy Boy)
above me is a new solo project from Oakland-based musician Rick Altier, formerly of Bay Area outfit Blue Ocean who released their 2023 debut album Fertile State on Slumberland Records. Not far removed from his previous band’s sound, his debut release is an impressive set of fuzzy and enveloping shoegaze gems infused with noise rock, indie pop, and electronics that’s “dreamy and hypnotic, noisy and esoteric, catchy and vibrant and encapsulates the soundtrack of a Northern California road trip.” -AR

Anthony Joseph - Rowing Up River to Get Our Names Back (Heavenly Sweetness)
The latest album from veteran British‐Trinidadian poet, novelist, musician, and academic Anthony Joseph finds him teaming up with renowned British musician/producer Dave Okumu – frontman for The Invisible who’s previously worked with Grace Jones, Amy Winehouse, Jessie Ware, and more – and it’s a cerebral journey that pairs his evocative Afrofuturist spoken-word poetry with soulful, exploratory backdrops that brew together jazz, hip-hop, dub, and Afrobeat styles. -AR

dadá joãozinho - 1997 EP (Innovative Leisure)
The new EP from São Paulo-based dadá Joãozinho is truly irresistible. His forward-thinking avant-pop draws from samba, psych-pop, bossa nova, R&B and more, crafting a unique sonic universe entirely his own. With his sweet, soulful vocals, the 1997 EP flows from track to track, fully immersing listeners in his soundbath. –CS

Decius - Decius Vol. II (Splendour & Obedience) (The Leaf Label)
The second full-length album from this London-based quartet composed of Lias Saoudi (Fat White Family), Quinn Whalley (Warmduscher, Paranoid London), and brothers Luke and Liam May (of Trashmouth Records) is a strong set of propulsive, pulsating, “sleazy ‘n’ slinky” (hat tip DJ Sean!)  dance-rock led by the crew’s hypnotic dancefloor rhythms – a tasty hybrid of house, techno, disco, and acid – and Lias’ perfectly complimentary breathy, hedonistic vocals. -AR

FACS - Wish Defense (Trouble In Mind)
On their sixth studio album, Chicago trio FACS went all in with “eyes the size of an American mile” for what would become the final album Steve Albini ever engineered. Wish Defense is a potent blend of noise-rock, post-punk, and art-rock, featuring fierce drum patterns, angular guitars and moody distortions, all with dark and urgent undertones.  –CS

Guided By Voices - Universe Room (GBVinc)
The 41st studio album (and 18th in 10 years!) from this veteran, prolific, renowned Dayton, OH-based band led by Robert Pollard burrows further into their expansive, gritty, scrappy alternative rock palette while embracing a more unpredictable, experimental, and eclectic approach. In regards to Universe Room and its swift 17-track run, Pollard says, “I wanted to create, hopefully, an experience, kind of a wild ride, where the listener would want to hear it multiple times in order to grasp all the sections and fields of sound to discover something new with each listen.” -AR

Nyron Higor - Nyron Higor (Far Out Recordings)
The second album from this Brazilian artist hailing from the coastal town of Maceió is a beautiful set of serene, instrumentally-rich, bossa nova-tinted folk-pop gems rooted in the traditions of Northeastern Brazilian music and golden-era MPB. While most of the tracks here hover around a fleeting two-minute running time, Nyron packs his songs with a ton of warmth, character, and nuance for a quietly magnetic journey. -AR

Various Artists - Hosono House Revisited (Stones Throw)
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the beloved 1973 solo debut album Hosono House by legendary Japanese musician and Yellow Magic Orchestra member Haruomi Hosono, Stones Throw Records invites an eclectic roster of his devout disciples – including Mac DeMarco, Pearl & The Oysters, Cornelius, Yuma Abe, Jerry Paper, John Carroll Kirby, Towa Tei, Akiko Yano, and Sam Gendel – to reimagine songs off the iconic record. It’s a fun, colorful, reverential collection of songs that provides its own contemporary rendition of the album’s winsome, expansive, and visionary folk-pop sound. -AR

Victoria Port - Did It Again (First Word)
The debut solo EP from this London-based singer/songwriter who’s also one-half of electronic/soul outfit Anushka (Brownswood Recordings, Tru Thoughts, BBE) is a lovely set of warm and timeless R&B/neo-soul with gentle, intermittent electronic flourishes that’s carried by her beautiful voice, airy melodies, and sharp songwriting. -AR