New Music Reviews (2/3)

Each week, Music Director Chris Sanley and Associate Music Director Alex Ruder (joined this week by Albina Cabrera, host of El Sonido and KEXP's Latin Partnerships and Editorial Manager) 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 Freckle, Maribou State, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, and more. 

Freckle - Freckle (God?)
The debut album from Ty Segall and Corey Madden as Freckle (unsurprisingly) does NOT disappoint. Weaving together classic sounds of psych rock and ‘60s pop, their self-titled record features rich acoustic guitars, varied percussion, playful experimentation, and Segall’s signature vocals. There's a warmth that runs through these songs, offering a welcome respite in the sun while reminding listeners “that when the clouds are out you can still get sunburned.” –CS

Maribou State - Hallucinating Love (Ninja Tune)
The latest album from London’s dynamic duo of Chris Davids and Liam Ivory is a euphoric celebration of sound. With kaleidoscopic synths, transfixing beats, lush strings, sparkling keys and exceptional vocal performances from Holly Walker, Andreya Triana, North Downs, and Gaidaa, Hallucinating Love soars through ten epic tracks that are equal parts intimate, potent and engaging as all hell. –CS

Bonnie “Prince” Billy - The Purple Bird (No Quarter/Domino)
The latest album from prolific singer-songwriter Bonnie “Prince” Billy is a truly collaborative project with producer David Ferguson, marking The Purple Bird as the second time he has ever worked with a producer. Their captivating fusion of folk, alt-country, and bluegrass–featuring fiddle, mandolin, keys, and more–yields entrancing, timeless tunes with memorable melodies, excellent storytelling and Billy’s striking vocals. –CS

Charlie Bereal - Walk With the Father (Death Row/gamma.)
Charlie Bereal is a veteran Los Angeles soul artist who has collaborated closely with Raphael Saadiq, previously performed with and written for marquee names like Missy Elliott, Aaliyah, and Jay-Z, and last year had his self-released 2019 sophomore album 11:11:11 reissued by Colemine Records’ subsidiary Karma Chief Records (Say She She, Ghost Funk Orchestra, Pale Jay, etc.). He lands on Death Row’s new look roster for his third full-length album and it’s a strong set of classic soul songs stepped in gospel, R&B, and funk carried by his tender, powerhouse vocals for a sharp sound frequently reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield. -AR

Cymande - Renascence (BMG)
British funk legends Cymande return with their first studio album in nearly a decade. The grooves are strong on Renascence, as they showcase their signature fusion of funk, jazz, and soul. With socially conscious lyrics, they preach universal positivity while letting their vibrant arrangements featuring dynamic horns, lively percussion and killer basslines do much of the talking. –CS

Dax Riggs - 7 Songs For Spiders (Bright Shadow/Fat Possum Records)
On his first album in fifteen years, Lafayette, LA-based Dax Riggs is fully immersing listeners in his intoxicating gothic blues rock. Fueled by gnarly, grungy guitars, dark lyricism and emotive vocals, 7 Songs For Spiders weaves through melancholic ballads and ripping rockers, offering the perfect sonic landscape for any “graveyard soul.” –CS

Eddie Chacon - Lay Low (Stones Throw)
The new solo album from Eddie Chacon, of Charles and Eddie fame, is a woozy exploration of psychedelic soul. With his distinct falsetto and production by musical magician Nick Hakim, Lay Low, invites listeners to do just that, and settle into Chacon’s smooth, ornate fusion of jazz, R&B, and celestial soul. The album examines the complex duality of loving and letting go, often in relation to the painful loss of his mother, all beautifully wrapped in a heartfelt, introspective haze. –CS

Jupiter & Okwess - Ekoya (Airfono)
The fourth album from this Congolese band led by Jupiter Bokondji is another strong set of vibrant, energetic, soulful Congolese funk, rock, Afrobeat, and soukous that ranges from fiery, hyperkinetic jams to mellow, beautiful ballads. Recorded in Mexico and not in the band’s home city of Kinshasa, Ekoya finds newfound influences from Mexico and across Latin America, and cross-cultural inspiration steeped in the shared history of African people in two continents. Brazilian vocalist Flavia Coelho and indigenous Mexican Zapotec rapper Mare Advertencia Lirika make guest appearances on a pair of album highlights. -AR

MIKE - Showbiz! (10k)
The latest from NYC-based rapper MIKE is a complex 24-track journey that highlights his impressive skills as both producer and emcee. Clocking in at just under 48 minutes, each of these cuts are woven together with confessional storytelling, meticulous beats, diverse samples, and deliciously muddied production. With its innovative, freeform song structures, Showbiz! plays like multidimensional collage, revealing new layers and depth with each listen. –CS

Qing Madi - I am the Blueprint (Jton Music/Columbia)
The debut album from this rising 19-year-old Nigerian artist is a stellar showcase of Nigeria’s bubbling alté (Nigerian slang for 'alternative') sound and its sultry fusion of Afrobeats, R&B, Afropop, dancehall, soul, and hip-hop. Her silky voice pairs harmoniously over the album’s warm, spacious, scintillating beats for a fresh introduction to this emerging voice who’ll immediately appeal to fans of more established artists in the scene like Tems and Amaarae. -AR

C Duncan - It’s Only A Love Song (Bella Union)
On his fifth studio album, Scottish composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist C Duncan steps into full technicolor. It’s Only A Love Song is so much more than its title suggests, with ornate, cinematic soundscapes that sweep listeners up in their lavish romanticism. With entrancing vocals, captivating melodies and lush orchestral-pop arrangements driven by prominent strings, keys and guitars, each track offers something truly special to love. –CS

Damon Locks - List of Demands (International Anthem)
As suggested by the artwork, the latest solo project from Damon Locks is a thought-provoking masterclass in collage work. Meticulously weaving samples and field recordings to highlight his poetry, the Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist seamlessly blends hip-hop, electronic, jazz, punk, soul, and spoken word, creating a unique and wholly engrossing collection. Speaking about the album, Locks says: “List of Demands is not just my list. The list is in conveyance, in response, and in honor of all of those great Black speakers that turned a phrase to generate movement and change.” –CS

Dina Summer - Girls Gang (Iptamenos Discos)
Dina Summer are a Berlin-based trio composed of Kalipo (aka Jakob Häglsperger, member of electro-punk band Frittenbude) and Local Suicide, aka Greek/German duo and married couple Maximilian Brudi and Konstantina Paschalidou. Their second album is a sweet set of darkwave jams that brews together dark disco, EBM, synth-pop, industrial, New Wave, and techno into bold, icy, gothic dancefloor anthems. With its opening lyrics of “We listen to Bauhaus, and dance to Dead Can Dance,” Girls Gang nods strongly to its predecessors, yet brings a fresh energy to this referential, revitalized sound. -AR

Ki! - Yong‐Gwanglo Part Two (Crunchy Frog)
The third album (and 2nd of 2024) from Korea-born, Denmark-raised, Copenhagen-based multi-instrumentalist/producer Christian Ki Dall (aka Ki!) continues the super eclectic Yong-Gwanlo (Korean for “melting pot”) vibes first displayed on ‘Part One’ with another adventurous journey through shimmery psych-pop, cerebral hip-hop, old-timey folk, throwback soul, kaleidoscopic surf, trippy synthy New Age, an amazing psych/funk “Knight Rider” cover, and more. It’s a wild ride with an exceptionally diverse A-side. -AR

Kratzen - III (self-released)
The third album from this Cologne-based trio is a brilliant set of their self-billed “Krautwave” sound, a potent fusion of motorik Krautrock and melancholic New Wave with touches of post-punk and shoegaze. Propelled by the band’s steady, droning, locked-in grooves and duelling male/female vocals, Kratzen delivers a consistently enveloping record full of hypnotic Krautwave gems. -AR

Louis La Roche - B L U E G I A N T S (self-released)
Veteran Norwich, UK-based electronic producer Brett Ewels (aka Louis La Roche) shares his second vanishing compilation of “demos, songs from unreleased albums & rejects from past studio sessions” that spotlight his knack for chameleonic, colorful, big-energy electronic grooves. Available for just over a week on Bandcamp, B L U E G I A N T S collects 13 songs created between 2017 and 2024 and there’s a loose, eclectic spontaneity to these tracks, bookended by a pair of euphoric highlights in the sparkling disco/boogie of “All In My Eyes” and the swirling, intense dancefloor jam “Velodrome” that pairs a huge piano house pulse with squiggly techno synths and a hypnotic flickering vocal sample . -AR

Sam Amidon - Salt River (River Lea Records)
The latest from London-based Vermont native, Sam Amidon, is the culmination of a decades-long journey to “recontextualise what it means to sing folk songs or make folk music.” With dynamic soundscapes featuring fiddle, banjo, guitar picking, saxophone, strings, synths and textured percussion, Amidon and his collaborators–Sam Gendel and Philippe Melanson–craft a compelling journey steeped in Appalachia. On Salt River, they reinterpret traditional folk tunes alongside tracks originally by artists like Lou Reed and Yoko Ono. The result is a true Sam Amidon affair: rooted in tradition yet brought to new life through his distinct perspective. –CS