New Music Reviews (4/21)

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 Tunde Adebimpe, Dining Dead, MIEN, and more. 

Tunde Adebimpe - Thee Black Boltz (Sub Pop)
The debut solo album from the co-founder, co-vocalist and principal songwriter for TV On The Radio is a triumph. Tunde Adebimpe puts his poetry on prominent display through artful arrangements with vibrant synths, infectious rhythms, and his signature vocals, complete with enticing manipulations. Thee Black Boltz feels like both a re-introduction and the start of a thrilling new era for Adebimpe. –CS

Dining Dead - Is This A House? (self-released)
The second album from this Seattle band is a sharp set of arty, melodic, string-accented indie rock. There’s a loose, unpredictable, shape-shifting energy to Is This A House? rooted in lead singer Sammy Skidmore’s mission "to write songs with a feminist perspective that meanders, explores, and feels more labyrinthine in nature,” and this vision yields a dynamic, magnetic, and refreshingly unique PNW indie record. -AR

MIEN - MIIEN (Fuzz Club)
The sophomore album from psychedelic supergroup MIEN – featuring Alex Maas, John Mark Lapham, Rishi Dhir, and Robb Kidd – has been well worth the wait. Their distinct perspectives and musical visions converge to create a rich, kaleidoscopic soundscape that blends psych, krautrock, and contemporary alt-rock into a deep, heavy, and hazy trip. –CS

quickly, quickly - I Heard That Noise (Ghostly International)
The new album from Portland’s quickly, quickly – aka Graham Jonson – is a warm and charming collection of bedroom pop-inflected indie folk. Hushed tones evolve into textured, vibrant soundscapes filled with lush instrumentation and subtle flourishes of noise, all anchored by his rich, expressive vocals. I Heard That Noise is dynamic and compelling, inviting listeners to explore each layered moment of sound and emotion. –CS

Witch Post - Beast EP (self-released)
The debut EP from the new collaboration between Alaska Reid and Dylan Fraser is an irresistible set of infectious indie rock and indie pop. With passionate vocals, dynamic guitar riffs, and killer hooks, these six tracks straddle the line between ‘90s nostalgia and modern edge–leaving a lasting impression. –CS

Adrian Younge - Something About April III (Linear Labs)
The third and final chapter in Adrian Younge’s psychedelic soul trilogy Something About April finds the prolific Los Angeles composer/producer fully embracing his deep love of the great Brazilian records of the 1960s and 1970s. Backed by a 30-piece orchestra and an all-Brazilian choir of vocalists handpicked by Brazilian composer Céu, Adrian guides them through his analog-rich psych/soul/jazz/funk/hip-hop prism to create “the album I wanted to make when I created the first album in 2011. From a cratediggers’ perspective, it’s the album I’ve been diggin’ for in the deepest crates of my soul. A lost album I finally found.” -AR

Beirut - A Study of Losses (Pompeii Records)
The seventh studio album from Zach Condon’s Beirut is a commanding, cinematic opus. Commissioned by Swedish circus Kompani Giraff, and inspired by German author Judith Schalansky’s novel Verzeichnis einiger Verluste, A Study of Losses is an epic, 18-track journey through lush baroque pop. Featuring strings, ukelele, accordion, keys, horns, and Condon’s entrancing, almost operatic vocals, the album dazzles at every twist and turn. –CS

Blackwater Holylight - If You Only Knew EP (Suicide Squeeze)
The new EP from Portland’s Blackwater Holylight is a potent set of moody, dark deathgaze. With dense walls of sound and Sunny Farris’s haunting vocals, If You Only Knew grips listeners from start to finish – culminating in a breathtaking cover of Radiohead’s “All I Need.” –CS

Cumulus - We’ve Got It All (Share It Music)
The fourth album from this Seattle-based songwriting project of Alexandra Lockhart and William Cremin is another charming set of endearing indie-pop led by Alexandra’s honest, bittersweet, reflective lyrics. We’ve Got It All hits its highpoints when reminiscing about the simple joys of childhood (“Simple”) and Alexandra’s strong, loving, influential relationship with her dad (“Dad Song”), while acoustic-folk closer “Money & Music” – “I know there’s not much money in music, but it’s gonna be there for me through everything” – closes out the record on a poignant note. -AR

Fotoform - Grief is a Garden (Forever In Bloom) (Dismal Nitch)
On their third studio album, Seattle-based outfit Fotoform pulls out all of the stops. Their bewitching, atmospheric dreamgaze and post-punk boasts beautifully muddied guitars, enchanting ethereal vocals, and an air of hopeful mysticism as they navigate themes of loss and transformation. –CS

Heavy Lungs - Caviar (FatCat)
The second album from this Bristol, UK band is an absolutely blistering, in-your-face set of punk rock with an uncompromising, visceral, propulsive energy that captures “the raw intensity of their infamous, sweaty and cathartic live performances.” -AR

Homeboy Sandman & yeyts. - Corn Hole Legend (Dirty Looks)
The latest short-and-sweet EP from veteran Brooklyn rapper Homeboy Sandman finds him teaming up with San Antonio-based producer yeyts. and his clever wordplay, nimble delivery, and everyman lyrics find refreshing room to breathe over yeyts.’s chill, jazzy, low-key beats. “Thansgiving Eve” serves up a tasty holiday jam that sounds great regardless of season. -AR

Little Barrie & Malcolm Catto - Electric War (Easy Eye Sound)
The second collaborative album between veteran UK outfit Little Barrie and renowned British drummer/producer Malcolm Catto (of The Heliocentrics) is a sweet set of fuzzy, scuzzy, psychedelic jams that fuse Krautrock, blues, garage rock, dub, and soul into its adventurous, trippy brew. -AR

Q - 10 songs (Columbia)
The latest offering from South Florida artist Q (aka Q. Steven Marsden) is another charming, colorful, chameleonic blend of R&B, pop, soul, and funk tunes. Billed as a loose ‘mixtape’ rather than an official album, 10 songs continues to spotlight Q’s versatile powerhouse voice over a wide range of backdrops rooted in a deep love for the iconic soul sounds of the '70s and '80s with a cool contemporary twist. -AR

The Convenience - Like Cartoon Vampires (Winspear)
The sophomore album from New Orleans-based outfit The Convenience is a solid, scrappy set of energetic post-punk. With angular guitars, swaggering vocals reminiscent of Britt Daniel, and a well-balanced mix of catchy hooks and chaotic release, Like Cartoon Vampires marks a fresh new direction for the duo. –CS

The Jaws of Brooklyn - Crush On You (Weekend Furlough Records)
Now fronted by powerhouse vocalist Gretchen Lemon, this Seattle-based band delivers a nice lengthy EP of nostalgic soulful rock with a classic '60s/'70s spirit that “celebrates resilience, reinvention, and the sheer joy of making music together.” In similar fashion to their debut album, Crush On You was produced by Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner and recorded in Florence, Alabama, lending a touch of southern swagger to the record. -AR

TV Sundaze - Plastic Bags / Packing Tape (Howlin Banana Records / Le Cèpe Records)
The latest offering from French outfit TV Sundaze is a solid dose of punchy garage rock. With fuzzy guitars, lively vocals, and a raw punk sensibility, Plastic Bags / Packing Tape rips through a narrative centered on “an alienated and confused protagonist, fighting against his own demons.” –CS