New Music Reviews (3/16)

Each week KEXP's Music Director Don Yates and other KEXP DJs share brief insights on new and upcoming releases. See what's coming up this week below, including reviews for new releases from Preoccupations, Yo La Tengo, Sango, Mount Eerie, and more.

Preoccupations – New Material (Jagjaguwar) 

This Calgary, Alberta band's third album is a potent set of dark post-punk with chiming guitars, atmospheric synths, driving rhythms, hazy vocals and dark, often self-loathing lyrics revolving around depression. 

Yo La Tengo – There's A Riot Going On (Matador) 

This veteran Hoboken, NJ trio's 15th studio album is one of their more low-key releases, featuring a gentle, atmospheric dream-pop sound inflected with shoegazerish psych-rock, prog, bossa nova and other styles. 

Sango – In The Comfort Of (Last Gang) 

This Seattle DJ/producer's second full-length is a warm, expansive blend of hip hop, R&B, techno and other styles, featuring an impressive lineup of special guests includes Dave B, Jessie Boykins III, JMSN, Smino, James Vincent McMorrow and lots more. 

The Decemberists – I'll Be Your Girl (Capitol) 

This Portland band's eighth album finds them injecting some glam-rock and New Wave influences into their majestic folk-pop with a more densely produced, synth-heavy sound, though there are also a few more questionable novelty songs than usual. 

Mount Eerie – Now Only (P.W. Elverum & Sun) 

The latest Mount Eerie album from Anacortes artist Phil Elverum follows his poignant 2017 full-length A Crow Looked At Me, which was written after his wife Genevieve Castree died of cancer at the age of 35. Now Only finds him continuing to grapple with her death along with his own mortality on these powerfully intimate songs of stark folk and rumbling rock. 

Sidi Toure – Toubalbero (Thrill Jockey) 

This Malian artist's fifth album is his first recorded with electric instrumentation. It's an often-scintillating set of hypnotic Songhai music combining electric and traditional acoustic instrumentation with his exuberant vocals. 

Jason McCue – Pangaea (Fluff & Gravy) 

This West Chester, PA-bred, Seattle-based artist's fourth studio album is a fine set ranging from quirky folk-pop reminiscent of the more low-key side of Modest Mouse to a bit of harder-edged rock and even some jazzy spoken-word.

Kraus – Path (Terrible) 

The second album from Brooklyn electronic artist Will Kraus is a strong set of atmospheric shoegazer psych-rock, combining distortion-drenched synths and guitars with sighing vocals and soaring melodies. 

Garden City Movement – Apollonia (Night Time Stories) 

This Tel Aviv-based trio's debut full-length is a solid set of atmospheric electro-pop with shimmering synths, gently reverberating guitars, mostly downtempo beats, breathy vocals and often-dark lyrics of lost love. 

Editors – Violence (Play It Again Sam) 

This British band's sixth album is a sleek blend of dramatic post-punk and propulsive synth-pop. 

Swampmeat Family Band – Too Many Things To Hide (PNKSLM) 

Formerly a duo known as Swampmeat, this British band has expanded to a 4-piece while also expanding their band name. Their debut release with the expanded lineup is a potent set combining garage-rock, psych-rock, country noir, '50s rock 'n' roll and more.

Creep Show – Mr. Dynamite (Bella Union) 

Creep Show is a new side-project comprised of British artist John Grant along with former Cabaret Voltaire frontman Stephen Mallinder and his current group Wrangler. Their debut album is a playful set of electro-pop inflected with funk, industrial, electro, motorik prog and other styles. 

Dungen & Woods – Myths 003 (Mexican Summer) 

The Swedish band Dungen teamed up with New York folk-rockers Woods for this fine 7-song set of dreamy, exploratory psych-rock. 

Gloria – Oidophon Echorama EP (Howlin' Banana) 

This French band follows up their 2016 debut album with this well-crafted 6-song EP of psych-tinged pop with fuzzy psych guitars, driving rhythms and soaring harmonies. 

Essaie Pas – New Path (DFA) 

This Montreal duo's latest album was inspired by the Philip K. Dick novel A Scanner Darkly. It's a fairly dark set of dystopian cold wave with hypnotic techno rhythms, ominous synths and bilingual lyrics revolving around addiction, paranoia, loss and identity. 

Newaxeyes – Black Fax (Important) 

This Seattle band's debut album is an adventurous set of atmospheric instrumentals blending brooding rock and ominous electronic beats and textures. 

Sky Cries Mary – Thieves and Sirens (Grinders Cease) 

This veteran Seattle band's latest album features a revamped lineup and a more aggressive, driving post-punk sound. 

Erika Wennerstrom – Sweet Unknown (Partisan) 

The frontwoman for the Austin-based band Heartless Bastards offers up a solid set of stately, roots-tinged rock that's not far-removed from the music of her regular band. 

Shamir – Resolution (self-released) 

This Las Vegas artist's latest album is a solid set ranging from grungy, elegiac rock to wistful folk-pop. Lyrics range from the poignant portrayal of a police killing to more personal lyrics revolving around anxiety and depression.