New Music Reviews (8/19)

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 OK Cowgirl, PawPaw Rod, Wishy, and more. 

OK Cowgirl - Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut (Easy Does It)
The debut album from Brooklyn-based OK Cowgirl is a gripping set of expressive folk-tinged indie rock. With memorable guitar riffs, expertly crafted arrangements and Leah Lavigne's compelling vocals, the vulnerable songs throughout Couldn’t Save Us From My Gut truly pack a punch. –CS

PawPaw Rod - Doobie Mouth (GODMODE)
The fourth PawPaw Rod EP from this solo project of LA-based Oklahoma City native Rodney Hulsey is another stellar set of woozy, funky, infectious R&B/soul jams infused with a hip-hop attitude and an addictive pop streak. -AR

Wishy - Triple Seven (Winspear)
Fresh off two stellar 2023 EPs, this Indianapolis band delivers a killer full-length debut album of soaring, fuzzy, kaleidoscopic guitar-pop that bleeds together shoegaze, grunge, power-pop, and dream-pop into its consistently on-point nostalgia-tinted sound. Led by primary singer-songwriters Kevin Krauter (formerly of HOOPS) and Nina Pitchkites who trade off songs in a balanced and satisfying fashion, Wishy follow through on the promise of last year’s output with one of the debut rock albums of the year. -AR

Bay Ledges - Rivers (Nettwerk)
The second album from this solo project of newly San Francisco-based, Maine-raised singer, songwriter, and producer Zach Hurd (aka Bay Ledges) is a dreamy set of beatific indie pop, shimmery synth-pop, and smooth chillwave beats that’s all held together by Bay Ledges’ warm, airy, aqueous touch. -AR

Charly Bliss - Forever (Lucky Number)
Charly Bliss’s third studio album, and first in five years, sees the power pop outfit embracing an extra-sugary, maximalist approach, with larger-than-life production and extra vulnerable lyrics. This bold direction results in tight arrangements, irresistible hooks, and Eva Hendricks delivering the strongest vocal performance of her career. With Forever, the band confidently goes big, showcasing bright keys, dynamic guitars and an unapologetically expansive sound. –CS

Delicate Steve - Delicate Steve Sings (ANTI-)
On his sixth studio album, guitar virtuoso Steve Marion delivers a collection of smooth, melodic, instrumental magic. Although he doesn’t sing, Marion’s distinctive guitar tone and style speak volumes, guiding listeners on a journey through these dreamy compositions. Delicate Steve Sings features collaborators Jonathan Rado (Foxygen), Kosta Galanopolous, Renata Zeiguer and Elliot Bergman, adding rich layers to this atmospheric and engaging set of originals and covers. –CS

Fucked Up - Another Day  (self-released)
The latest offering from these infamous hardcore icons finds the Toronto outfit delivering the urgency listeners crave while also presenting some of their most melodic material to date. With intricate, mathy guitar licks and Damian Abraham’s rugged vocals, Fucked Up use Another Day to examine the past while continuing to push forward as a formidable force. –CS

ISHA - What You’re Seeing (self-released)
The second EP from this emerging London-via-Amsterdam multi-instrumentalist, producer, and budding vocalist is an impressive showcase of her funky, soulful, and sophisticated talents as she teams up with a different guest artist on each track to deliver fresh genre-fluid backdrops that yield a sleek rhythmic pop vibe. Blossoming UK artist MAX RAD appears on two standout tracks. -AR

LEATHERS - Ultraviolet (Artoffact)
The debut album from this solo project of Vancouver, BC-based musician, visual artist, and ACTORS member Shannon Hemmett is a sharp set of sleek 80s-inspired synth-pop and icy darkwave that impressively blends analog-rich beats, dreamy melodies, and detached vocals through its retro-futuristic prism. -AR

Lesibu Grand - Triggered (Kill Rock Stars)
With a vast sonic blend of punk, indie-pop, new wave and indie-rock, Lesibu Grand crafts a unique, versatile and engaging soundscape. Following a series of standout singles over the last few years, debut album Triggered showcases this distinctive fusion through layered keys, guitars and harmonies, boasting infectious hooks and highlighting Tyler-Simone Molton’s theatrical vocals and lyricism. –CS

Pom Poko - Champion (Bella Union)
=The third album from this Norwegian band fronted by Ragnhild Fangel Jamtvei is another solid set of arty, dynamic, muscular indie rock that bounces between soaring noise-pop, energetic post-punk, charming indie-pop, and shape-shifting math-rock in wide-eyed, exuberant form. -AR

Think About You - Don’t Die On Me (self-released)
The sophomore album from Naarm/Melbourne art-rock outfit Think About You is a captivating collection of violin-driven lo-fi indie rock tunes. With raw vocals that are perfectly rough around the edges and sweeping swells of sound featuring guitars, trumpet, propelling drums and, you guessed it, violin, Don’t Die On Me establishes Think About You as one to watch. –CS

Angela Muñoz - Descanso (Stones Throw)
Los Angeles singer/songwriter Angela Muñoz makes her solo debut EP with Descanso (Spanish for “to rest”) and it’s a promising set of earthy, soulful, unhurried R&B/neo-soul. Created alongside her brother Brandon and written in honor of her roots as the child of Mexican and Puerto Rican parents, Angela steps into her own introspective sound after previously joining Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammed’s band The Midnight Hour at the age of 17 and releasing a jazz-leaning vocal album at the age of 18 that was produced and presented by Adrian Younge for his Linear Labs label. -AR

DJ Sabrina the Teenage DJ - Hex (Spells on the Telly)
Nearly a year to the day of releasing their 41-track, nearly 4-hour magnum opus ‘Destiny,’ London’s DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ returns with another epic journey through their joyful, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic, sample-happy dance music that taps into the project’s tongue-in-cheek nostalgic charm. With its swirling layers, steady house tempos, and euphoric builds, Hex and its free-flowing 2-hour running-time demand serious stamina as a singular listening experience, but in small doses it’s a sublime, giddy, saccharine delight to get lost in. -AR

Horse Jumper of Love - Disaster Trick (Run For Cover)
The latest album from this Boston band is an enveloping set of sludgy, gritty, intense indie rock that leans heavily into slowcore territory and is distinguished by lead singer Dimitri Giannopoulos’ evocative lyrics and anguished delivery. -AR

Rosie Lowe - Lover, Other (Blue Flowers)
The fourth studio album from London-based singer-songwriter and producer Rosie Lowe is an intoxicating fusion of neo-soul, R&B and electronica, with interesting samples, compelling hooks and her smooth, sultry vocals. –CS

Tama Gucci - Notes To Self (Sinderlyn)
The debut full-length album from this Miami-raised, NYC-based singer, songwriter, DJ, and electronic producer who’s become a staple of New York City’s queer electronic underground scene is an expansive set of adventurous club-centric R&B with a forward-thinking pop sensibility. -AR