New Music Reviews (10/14)

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 Black Ends, Dua Saleh, Gut Health, and more. 

Black Ends - Psychotic Spew (Youth Riot)
The debut album from Seattle’s Black Ends is thrilling from start to finish. Their self-described “gunk pop” sound is compelling as hell, fusing elements of grunge, punk and indie-rock with a pop sensibility. Psychotic Spew perfectly channels the refined chaos of this beloved local trio, featuring Nicolle Swims’ distinct vocals and ripping guitarwork, paired with explosive drums from Billie Jessica Paine and gripping basslines by Ben Swanson. To this dynamic ensemble they’ve added cello, samples, Wurlitzer, Organ, French horn, and more, creating a complex and ornate soundscape. This highly anticipated full length has been worth the wait, showcasing their sonic vision, musical chops and innovative songwriting. BLACK ENDS IS GUNK POP! –CS

Dua Saleh - I SHOULD CALL THEM (Ghostly International)
The debut album from Sudanese-American LA-based artist Dua Saleh is a sprawling, adventurous blend of R&B, indie-pop, soul and electronica. I SHOULD CALL THEM is an innovative and provocative showcase of their unique sonic shapeshifting that encapsulates an intoxicating balance of dark and light, grit and sparkle as they “portray the spiritual power, resilience, and joy of love.” –CS

Gut Health - Stiletto (Highly Contagious/AWAL)
Naarm/Melbourne dance-punk outfit Gut Health comes out swinging on their debut album. True to its title, Stiletto is sharp, pointed and ready to move from the first beat. With contagious hooks, epic bass lines and a fiery vocal performance from front person Athina Uh Oh, these ten no-skip tracks are bursting with ferocity, ensuring that Gut Health leaves their mark with this untouchable collection. –CS

Goat - Goat (Rocket Recordings)
The latest offering from Swedish experimental psych rock outfit Goat is yet another exhilarating trip. Through layered guitars, flutes, keys and percussion, their rhythmic meditations propel listeners through global dance, introspective folk, ripping psych rock and more for a unique and wildly diverse sonic tapestry that could only come from Goat. –CS

Juniore - Trois, Deux, Un (Le Phonographe)
The third studio album from French outfit Juniore is an intoxicating fusion of retro psych, surf and 60s pop. With velvet vocals, enchanting melodies and swingin’ grooves, Trois, Deux, Un is a delectable, transportive album with easy flows and captivating hooks–perfect for the replay button. –CS

The Linda Lindas - No Obligation (Epitaph)
The sophomore album from LA-based The Linda Lindas finds the young punk outfit refining their ferocious fusion of garage, power pop, new wave and punk. Ranging from vicious rippers like the title track to more melodic, sugar-tinged gems like “All In My Head,” No Obligation affirms that this quartet is committed to elevating their craft and “making music out of love” while channeling their classic punk influences through a contemporary lens. –CS

7xvethegenius - Death Of Deuce (Drumwork Music Group)
The sophomore album and Drumwork Music Group from Buffalo-based 7xvethegenius is a free-flowing expression of contemporary hip-hop. With chill flows, imaginative beats and an array of collaborators including Jae Skeese, Papoose and Raheem Devaughn, Death Of Deuce showcases a dynamic and inventive MC confidently entering a new era.  –CS

Caroline Says - The Lucky One (Western Vinyl)
The third album from Austin-via-Alabama musician Caroline Sallee (aka Caroline Says) is a beautiful set of honeyed folk-pop, introspective dream-pop, and cozy indie-pop that carries a warm sophistication throughout its low-key mesmerizing journey. With Caroline writing, performing, and recording everything on The Lucky One, she’s created a distinctive, personal record that “magnifies the insular clarity of her vision” as she blends her golden voice and melancholic lyrics with ethereal melodies and lush arrangements. -AR

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - “NO​ ​TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28​,​340 DEAD” (Constellation)
The eighth studio album from Montreal’s Godspeed You! Black Emperor is another stunner. Boasting reflective, intricate and meditative post-rock jams, “NO​ ​TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28​,​340 DEAD” continues their tradition of epic soundscapes characterized by melodic, layered guitars, strings, organ and glockenspiel. These emotive and rhythmic instrumental masterpieces, with turbulent swells and ambient drones, guide listeners to a trance-like state, allowing each note to resonate deeply while ruminating on the state of the world. –CS

Jerome Blazé - Living Room (self-released)
The sophomore album from Sydney-based Jerome Blazé is a tender collection of sweeping orchestral pop delights. Featuring piano, strings, horns, organ, percussion, samples, field recordings and a choir, Blazé fuses jazz, trip-hop, soul, folktronica and classical to create a dynamic sound uniquely his own. Each song was intimately recorded in his living room with an eclectic array of contributors and collaborators, resulting in a sonically rich and diverse tapestry bursting with a whole lot of heart and soul. –CS

London Grammar - The Greatest Love (Ministry of Sound Recordings)
The fourth studio album from UK trio London Grammar is an expansive set of emotive indie pop. With lush soundscapes and Hannah Reid’s enchanting, ethereal vocals, The Greatest Love traverses intimate ballads and dynamic electronica pop jams, showcasing their artistry and depth through this captivating musical journey. –CS

Lynda Dawn - 11th Hour (First Dawn)
The debut mini-album from this London-based vocalist, producer, and songwriter is a gorgeous set of elegant R&B that taps into an airy, symphonic, airy, nostalgic, and slightly jazzy vibe that brings to past greats like Minnie Riperton, Roberta Flack, and Ann Pebbles, while also resting comfortably alongside contemporaries like Cleo Sol and Liv Rion. -AR

MEMORIALS - Memorial Waterslides (Fire)
The debut full-length album from this Canterbury, UK duo composed of Verity Susman (formerly of Electrelane) and Matthew Simms (of Wire, It Hugs Back, UUUU, FITTED, and Better Corners) is an awesome set of kaleidoscopic art-pop and adventurous psych-rock with an immersive, experimental aura. -AR

Mutant Academy - Keep Holly Alive (self-released)
The debut album from this 10-deep Richmond, VA collective founded by Fly Anakin and Henny L.O. is a sharp set of underground hip-hop with a soulful, woozy, wavy grit reminiscent of Jet Life, Wu-Tang Clan, and Dungeon Family. Boasting a healthy dose of top-shelf soul-sample beats, Mutant Academy’s 7-member production team shines bright underneath the Academy’s rotating trio of lyricists. Quelle Chris appears on album standout “Liberation.” -AR

Sea Caves - Everything Moves (self-released)
The new album from Portland’s Sea Caves is a lush expression of folk-tinged indie rock. With intricate arrangements, beautiful harmonies and vivid imagery, Everything Moves offers both delicate and sweeping motion, creating an engaging and dynamic listen. –CS

Sons of Sevilla - Lullabies for a Wildcat (Ubiquity)
Sons of Sevilla is a duo composed of British brothers Henry and Reuben Smith, the latter also a solo artist with a pair of cool albums on Soundway Records who played football for a Sevilla-based club in his early adult years. Now both hailing in the scenic Spanish city of their namesake, their debut album is a solid set of dreamy, dusty, '70s-steeped psychedelia – with specific influential nods to JJ Cale and Neil Young – infused with cosmic folk and sun-soaked desert rock that’s trippy in a warm, welcoming, melodic way. -AR

Tucker Zimmerman - Dance of Love (4AD)
Championed by artists ranging from David Bowie to Angel Olsen, Tucker Zimmerman is an 83-year-old Belgium-based American singer-songwriter who released his debut album in 1969 and released subsequent music throughout the '70s and early '80s before largely steering away from music to focus on writing poetry and fiction. While he’s released some albums in the 21st century, his 11th studio album marks his 4AD debut and it’s his biggest showcase yet as he’s joined by Big Thief who serve as his backing band (alongside Mat Davidson of Twain and Seattle-born musician Zach Burba of Iji) and producers on the album. With Big Thief’s enthusiastic assistance and beautiful accompanying vocals from Adrianne Lenker (who hailed Zimmerman as “one of the greatest songwriters of all time”) across the album, Dance of Love is a tender, poetic, charismatic set of charming folk and rustic Americana songs bolstered by Zimmerman’s seasoned yet joyful voice, vivid storytelling, and the band’s evocative arrangements that range from melancholic and minimal to low-key lively. -AR

yunè pinku - Scarlet Lamb EP (Method 808)
The third EP from this solo project of London-based Malaysian/Irish artist Asha Catherine Nandy (aka yunè pinku) is a glistening set of buoyant dance-pop and simmering synth-pop. A steadily bubbling up artist who has collaborated with Lava La Rue, Logic1000, Disclosure, and Hot Chip, while also getting early co-signs from co-signs from the likes of Joy Orbison and The Blessed Madonna, yunè pinku will be opening up for Caribou on his upcoming North American tour. -AR

CunninLynguists - The Heartstring Theory [Part One] (self-released)
This veteran Lexington, Kentucky hip-hop returns with their first new material in 7 years and it’s a solid 4-song EP of soulful, brooding, underground hip-hop that carries their distinctive Southern flair. -AR

Fennec - Nice Work Vol. 3 (self-released)
The latest EP from this Austin, TX-based Korean-American electronic producer is another sweet set of deep, funky, loopy electronic grooves that plays with different styles within a cerebral, sample-heavy house lane. “I Luv It” glides with a magnetic hip-house energy, “Vongole Asporto” is a swirling dancefloor dart perfect for Monkey Loft, “Snack Dub” dabbles in a jazzy zone, and early single “Better” closes out the set on a giddy, euphoric, life-affirming note. -AR

George Burton - White Noise (self-released)
George Burton is NYC-based pianist, composer, arranger, and educator who’s a member of The Sun Ra Arkestra and past collaborator with Meshell Ndegeocello, Patti LaBelle, The Philly Pops, and more. Aptly billed as a “powerful meditation on Black resilience and societal reckoning,” his fourth album explores an exciting intersection between jazz, hip-hop, electronic, R&B, and Xhosa music that’s reminiscent of contemporaries such as Robert Glasper, Terrace Martin, Makaya McCraven, Alfa Mist, Moses Yoofee, and Butcher Brown. -AR

Shad & 14KT - Reel Speakers (Secret City)
Stemming from freestyles he’s performed online, the latest short-and-sweet EP from Toronto-based, Juno Award-winning rapper Shad (aka Shadrach Kabango) finds him teaming up Ypsilanti, Michigan-based producer 14KT for a sharp set of magnetic hip-hop with his clever, witty, verbose lyrical talents meshing seamlessly over 14KT’s crisp boom-bap beats. -AR

The Headhunters - The Stunt Man (Ropeadope)
The latest album from this legendary band formed by Herbie Hancock in 1973 is a nice set of exploratory jazz-funk grooves. Co-led by original members Bill Summers on percussion and Mike Clark on drums, The Stunt Man finds them joined by Donald Harrison on saxophone, Kyle Roussel on keys, and Chris Severin on bass for a colorful journey through new originals and timeless jazz standards (“Embraceable You,” “ESP”) that closes out with a distinctive highlight in “New Levels – New Devils,” a collaboration with Brooklyn-based hip-hop outfit Forward Back. -AR