New Music Reviews (2/17)

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 Bartees Strange, fish narc, Horsegirl, and more. 

Bartees Strange - Horror (4AD)
On his third studio album, Bartees Strange digs into the everyday horrors of modern life. With huge, sweeping choruses and deliciously intricate arrangements, he fuses his many diverse influences, including melodic rock, funk, house, emo, folk, and everything in between, culminating in an enrapturing sonic tapestry through which he unveils his confessional storytelling. –CS

fish narc - frog song (K)
fish narc is the solo alias of Ben Funkhouser, a versatile Olympia-based musician who originally emerged in the mid-2010s as part of the visionary underground hip-hop collectives Thraxxhouse and GothBoiClique and working closely with artists like Lil Peep, Lil Tracy, and Wicca Phase Springs Eternal. His latest album finds him fully embracing a gritty, guitar-led, PNW-steeped alternative rock sound that further showcases the sharp songwriting, moody hooks, and emotional heart-on-sleeve passion that has carried throughout his chamelonic journey. -AR

Horsegirl - Phonetics On and On (Matador)
On the sophomore album from the NYC-via-Chicago trio Horsegirl, the complexity lies in the simplicity. With gripping violin, guitars, and percussion, one can only hope that Phonetics On and On goes on and on for eternity. Working closely with producer Cate Le Bon, they’ve crafted a captivating collection of rocking and buoyant noise pop that is equal parts subtle and spirited. –CS

Art d’Ecco - Serene Demon (Paper Bag)
The fourth album from this Victoria, BC artist is a fantastic set of anthemic glam-rock and exuberant art-pop infused with groovy disco and widescreen pop sensibilities. While Serene Demon is a consistently captivating journey, the album’s opening half is a truly stellar kickoff that sets the tone for the back half’s more eclectic explorations. -AR

Brooke Combe - Dancing At The Edge Of The World (Modern Sky UK)
The debut full-length album from Scottish singer-songwriter Brooke Combe is a stellar set of classic soul, R&B, and funk propelled by her soaring, expressive, gorgeous voice and sumptuous string-enhanced arrangements that balance infectious uptempo grooves with spacious slowburning ballads. -AR

HONESTY - U R HERE (Partisan)
The debut album from Leeds outfit HONESTY is a spellbinding, experimental trip through dense and moody electronic soundscapes with shoegaze undertones. The ten tracks on U R HERE are textured and potent, shocking the system with intricately layered arrangements and thought-provoking lyrics. It’s brilliant.  –CS

John Glacier - Like A Ribbon (Young)
Following an incredible string of EPs and singles, London-based producer, rapper, and songwriter John Glacier offers listeners a proper glimpse into her intoxicating musical universe on this exceptional debut full-length. With gauzy beats, distorted guitars, and keys, the murky atmosphere sets the stage for her to demonstrate why she’s “the hottest in the game” throughout Like A Ribbon.  –CS

Kestrels - Better Wonder (Darla Records)
When Chad Peck, the mastermind behind Halifax’s Kestrels, says he made “a nighttime record riddled with anxiety written during a weird time,” the world collectively agrees there couldn’t be a better moment for such an album. These fuzzy power-pop jams deliver walls of sound, featuring incendiary guitars, woozy synths, commanding drums and killer hooks — perfect for dissociating, scheming, or whatever the times may be calling for. –CS

Marinero - La La La (Hardly Art)
The latest from the LA-based outfit, led by the inimitable Jess Sylvester, is a pure delight. His bright psych pop comes to life with dynamic percussion, harp, Wurlitzer, organ, strings, horns, guitars and dreamy vocals, as Sylvester explores themes of sobriety, identity and change. Listeners effortlessly float through every note of La La La, reveling in its vivid and hopeful soundscape. –CS

Mereba - The Breeze Grew a Fire (Secretly Canadian)
On her sophomore album, and first for Secretly Canadian, singer-songwriter and producer Mereba delves deep, as she reflects on motherhood, self-discovery, and creative expression. With her breathtaking, buttery vocals front and center, The Breeze Grew a Fire serves as a true sanctuary, both for herself and her listeners, featuring a rich fusion of alt-R&B, soul, and pop with infectious rhythms and poetic lyricism. What a showstopper.  –CS

ROZET - HEAD EP (Young Art)
On their debut EP, HEAD, Miami-based audio-visual artist ROZET proves they are precisely that. Effortlessly blending electronic (jungle, house, dance, YOU NAME IT), R&B, hip-hop and synth-pop, these nine tracks range from introspective reflections to escapist bangers. What an exhilarating introduction to a vibrant and dynamic talent. –CS

Thala - Avalanche (Fire Records)
The sophomore album from Berlin-based Thala is an assertive, cinematic collection of dream-gaze tinged indie-pop. Boasting big hooks, confident vocals, and tender, emotive lyrics,  Avalanche just HITS — whether it’s your first listen or your fourteenth. –CS

The Velveteers - A Million Knives (Easy Eye Sound)
The sophomore album from Colorado trio The Velveteers is a strong, potent set of hard-hitting rock anthems. With fuzzy guitars, explosive drums, and a theatrical vocal performance from frontwoman Demi Demitro, A Million Knives brings the swagger of ‘70s rock to a contemporary space. The result is a timeless, infectious album that is poised for the big stage.  –CS

Tony Allen & La BOA - LA BOA MEETS TONY ALLEN (Comet/Planet Woo)
Colombian Afrobeat ensemble La Bogotá Orquesta Afrobeat (aka La BOA) keep the spirit and sound of late great Nigerian drummer and Afrobeat pioneer Tony Allen alive on this vibrant album that finds La BOA adding their own colorful Afro-Latin rhythms, playful vocals, and rich horn and brass sections to recordings of Tony Allen’s kinetic drumming that was originally performed in 2011 during an Afrobeat Makers Series session for the Parisian imprint Comet Records. The result is a brilliant, funky, and reverential crosscultural celebration of Afrobeat spanning continents and generations. -AR

Alsarah & the Nubatones - Seasons of the Road (self-released)
The third studio album from Alsarah & the Nubatones is a labor of love that spans time (five years in the making) and space (from Beirut, to Sudan, to NYC). Across nine tracks with expressive musicianship, they enlist their magnetic “East-African retro-pop” to explore and reflect on the state of the world and pay homage to the Sudanese revolution. –CS

bambinodj - Silent Dispatch (OST)
The debut full-length album from this Berlin-based DJ/producer is a mesmerizing set of visionary electronic grooves that exists in a world where spacey R&B/dancehall, trancey downtempo, and ambient Amapiano harmoniously coexist to soundtrack futuristic dancefloors. “This is music for pure hearts and tingling temples” (as its Bandcamp page perfectly states) that’s defined by bambinodj’s super clean production, transportive synthetic tones, low-slung syncopated rhythms, weightless vocal samples, and a seductive, alluring sheen that makes Silent Dispatch one of the standout electronic LPs of the year. -AR

Big Thief - Passional Relations (self-released)
The touching new EP from darlings Big Thief is a collection of unreleased, classic Big Thief magic, with all proceeds going to those impacted by the LA fires. From the band: “Our hearts are broken for everyone affected by the fires in California … The majority of the proceeds will be donated to the PLUS1LA Fires Fund, which directly supports organizations working on the ground to address critical needs like housing, education, animal welfare, and more. And the rest will go directly to local musicians, artists and community members who need extra support during this time. Our hope is that these contributions will not only help address the crucial and immediate needs of affected communities but also help sustain the work, identity, and culture of the artists within them.” –CS

Brother Ali - Satisfied Soul (Mello Music Group)
Brother Ali returns with a 17-track opus, delivering his signature message-driven hip-hop. With propulsive drum beats, smooth and heartfelt flows, and excellent production from Atmosphere’s Ant, Satisfied Soul inspires and preaches the word: “the word was the message, and the message was love.” –CS

Fernie - Hopeless Dreams EP (Secret City)
The astounding new EP from Montreal-based singer-songwriter Fernie is the perfect collection to get lost in. Ranging from sparse and intimate to lush and cinematic, his soulful R&B carries his smooth vocals and raw storytelling, inviting all to surrender to his Hopeless Dreams. –CS

Gary Louris - Dark Country (Sham/Thirty Tigers)
The third solo album from renowned American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer Gary Louris – best known as frontman for The Jayhawks and member of the alt-rock supergroup Golden Smog – is a tender and poignant set of Americana, folk, and alt-country. Inspired and dedicated to his wife Stephanie, Dark Country is appropriately billed as Gary’s “most intimate and romantic album” as it finds him lyrically exploring love, life, relationships, and happiness from his seasoned perspective. -AR

Hooky & Winter - Water Season (Julia’s War)
This debut collaborative EP between Philadelphia-based duo Hooky and Brazilian-American musician Winter is a super impressive fusion of their lo-fi pop instincts, fusing Winter’s ethereal shoegaze and melancholic 90’s indie sound with Hooky’s psych-tinted beats and leftfield DIY pop productions. Featuring four short-and-sweet songs, Water Season breezes by sneakily fast, but yields a sweet bedroom pop vision that jumps between guitar-led alt-rock jams (“horseshoe”) to dreamy synthy psych-pop bliss (“in your pocket”) to romantic vocal-laced lo-fi house grooves (“i like you”) with a youthful and playful experimental edge. -AR

Kelela - In The Blue Light (Warp)
Singer, songwriter, and R&B maverick Kelela Mizanekristos celebrates an immaculate decade-long run with her first live album featuring sublime reimaginations of her original songs, a pair of Betty Carter covers, and a Joni Mitchell cover, all performed last year during a two-day residency at the legendary NYC venue Blue Note. A poetic ”full circle moment” for a visionary artist who grew up with a love of jazz and attended inspirational shows at Blue Note as a teenager, In The Blue Light beautifully captures the magnetic nuances of her studio work – a raw emotional tenderness, exploratory jazz undercurrents, deeply soulful flourishes, and an exquisite use of empty space. Backed by a talented cast of close collaborators including Daniel Aged and Ahya Simone, Kelela charismatically sways between hypnotic slowburning ballads and lowkey bops and consistently shines bright under this intimate unplugged spotlight. -AR

Mallrat - Light hit my face like a straight right (Nettwerk)
The second full-length album from breakout Brisbane-raised Australian singer, songwriter, and producer Mallrat (aka Grace Shaw) finds her pivoting away from the atmospheric dream-pop and acoustic folk-pop of her debut album for a sharp, shimmery set dominated by sleek, kinetic, club-tinted synth-pop, or as she describes, “dance music that has heart and potent magic.” Along the way she dips into dreamy alt-pop, fuzzy shoegaze (“The Worst Thing I Would Ever Do”), and sneaks in some unique strains of Southern rap on standout early single “Pavement” which samples “Born to Lose” by Memphis’ DJ Zirk for its addictive hook. -AR

Oracle Sisters - Divinations (Wizard Artists)
The sophomore album from Paris trio Oracle Sisters is a solid collection of nostalgic indie-pop, infused with a bit of twang, a touch of soul, and a whole lot of heart. ‘Divinations’ features dreamy, sweeping arrangements and lovely harmonies that are delightfully transportive. –CS

Sam Cohen - Slow Fawn Music No. 2 (30th Century)
Sam Cohen is a New York-based vocalist, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, in-demand producer, and former frontman for the bands Apollo Sunshine and Yellowbirds. His latest solo album is a sublime showcase of his expansive sound and studio wizardry as he beautifully folds folk, psych, jazz, and ambient through his lush, kaleidoscopic, instrumental-heavy lens. It’s a deceptively eclectic journey featuring appearances from a stacked roster of fellow music explorers – Makaya McCraven, Cochemea (of The Dap-Kings), Photay, Hannah Cohen Stuart Bogie, Oliver Hill – that’s all held cohesively together by Sam’s fuzzy, enchanting, and naturalist touch. -AR

Traxman - Da Mind Of Traxman Vol.3 (Planet Mu)
A decade since its predecessor, veteran and influential Chicago DJ/producer Traxman (aka Cornelius Ferguson aka Corky Strong) delivers the third volume in his Da Mind Of Traxman series and it’s another prime showcase of his adventurous, cutting-edge, sample-happy juke rhythms that finds him flipping classic hip-hop, soul, funk, and dancehall samples through his hard-hitting percussive workouts. This collection was notably executive produced by visionary DJ/producer Sinjin Hawke who curated fifteen gems from hundreds of unreleased Traxman tracks dating back to 2005. -AR

Various Artists - A Tribute to Nirvana, The Songs of MTV Unplugged in New York (GM)
In celebration of the recent 30th anniversary of the release of Nirvana’s seminal MTV Unplugged in New York concert that was originally performed November 18th, 1993, this 7-song tribute compilation finds contemporary indie artists covering songs from that iconic set. It’s a nice collection and a timely reminder of the timeless strength of its inspirational material, with a pair of highlights from levitation room and Casino Hearts and their takes on The Vaselines’ “Jesus Doesn’t Want Me For A Sunbeam” that was popularized by Nirvana’s unplugged cover. -AR

Various Artists - Pear Club (递梨音乐 Delivery Music)
Run by the rapper/producer LATENINE6, 递梨音乐 Delivery Music is a Shanghai-based label spotlighting exciting independent music coming out of China and Asia. Curated in collaboration with his partner Cookie Zhang (aka FunkeeCookee, founder of the excellent label Eating Music), Pear Club is Delivery Music’s first label compilation showcasing their colorful sound and close-knit roster that sonically touches upon a fresh blend of hip-hop, indie pop, synth-pop, and electronic styles. -AR

venturing - Ghostholding (deadAir)
venturing is an alter-ego of revered Newark-based trans artist Jane Remover. The project’s origin is steeped in the unique backstory that venturing is a fictional indie rock band hailing from a small South Dakota town that was active between 1990 and 2002 and only recently “discovered” when one of the band’s T-shirts was unearthed. True to this foundational lore, venturing’s debut full-length album revels in a 90s-influenced alternative rock sound that’s noisy, gritty, dense, passionate, and deceptively melodic with a small-town Midwestern edge. It’s yet another fascinating glimpse into Jane Remover’s versatile, unpredictable, and magnetic musical vision that arrives exactly a month ahead of Jane Remover’s highly-anticipated third full-length album, Revengeseekerz. -AR