New Music Reviews (9/15)

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 Maruja, Boyish, BRNDA, and more. 

Maruja - Pain to Power (Music For Nations)

Following a series of EPs and singles, Manchester outfit Maruja come out the gate SWINGIN’ with their debut album. True innovators, they deliver an intoxicating blend of post-punk, jazz, noise, and prog—a dizzying sonic assault featuring swirling saxophone, fierce guitars, pounding drums, and unrestrained, passionate vocals. ‘Pain to Power’ presents intricate, expressive, and chaotic arrangements that reflect the tension in today’s socio-political landscape, showcasing a sophisticated, inventive quartet poised to turn heads and open hearts by embracing, as frontman Harry Wilkinson puts it, “our power to overcome pain.” –CS

Boyish - Gun (R&R)

The third album from this NYC duo composed of India Shore and Claire Altendahl is a stellar set of expansive rock, chameleonic indie, and rumbling alternative with a melodic, dynamic, pop edge. While standout early singles “BIG” and “Jumbos” painted a heavier, grungier, guitar-forward landscape, Boyish’s widescreen vision also delivers dreamy psych-pop (“Doing it Behind the Marching Ban”), adventurous indie folk (“You and I”), and heart-on-sleeve celestial pop that couldsoundtrack an 80s’ slow dance (“Prom”) before closing out with spacious, atmospheric, intimate art-pop (“Wendy II”). -AR

BRNDA - Total Pain (Crafted Sounds)

The latest album from this Washington, DC band is a fantastic set of colorful art-punk and oddball art-rock with cool, contemplative forays into slacker-rock territory. With vocals coming from all four BRNDA members, ‘Total Pain’ impressively embodies a wide range of indie and underground styles that’s consistently delightful, and delightfully bizarre at times. -AR

Die Spitz - Something to Consume (Third Man)

The debut album from this Austin, Texas four-piece who “decided to start a band after a late-night viewing of the Mötley Crüe movie ‘The Dirt’” (!!!) is an awesome, blistering, in-your-face set of heavy rock, snarling punk, and gritty grunge that bottles up the anthemic angst of their inspirations – Black Sabbath, Pixies, Mudhoney, PJ Harvey, Nirvana – to unleash their own contemporary vitriolic anthems. -AR

Gilligan Moss - À La Mode (Foreign Family Collective)

NYC-via-Chicago duo Gilligan Moss return with a commanding, no-skips EP. From the opener “Robbery,” which begs—nay, demands—listeners to “get on the floor,” this tight six-track set delivers infectious dance rhythms that span electronica, house, and pop, making it nearly impossible to sit still. The duo explains: “À La Mode is a project that arrives as softly and sweetly as ice cream. Each song is meant to melt down the ears and ooze into the body; no arrangement overwrought, no sound overthought.”  –CS

Guerilla Toss - You’re Weird Now (Sub Pop)

The fifth studio album from Guerilla Toss finds the New York outfit diving deeper into their bizarre, left-of-center art-pop and dance-punk sensibilities with thrilling results. Packed with swirling, vibrant synths, syncopated percussion, driving basslines, and tongue-in-cheek lyricism, ‘You’re Weird Now’ is for the thrill-seeking freaks and fun-chasing music geeks. Afterall, as frontwoman Kassie Carlson puts it, “If you don’t like music, you’re kind of an asshole.” –CS

Kassa Overall - CREAM (Warp)

And now, for his next trick (aka his fourth solo album), the one and only Kassa Overall reimagines classic hip-hop anthems from The Notorious B.I.G., Digable Planets, and others, transforming them into spellbinding jazz explorations born from his masterful reverse engineering. ‘CREAM’ finds Overall flexing his skills as both drummer and producer, breathing new life into these beloved tracks that have been reconfigured through his signature jazz alchemy. –Chris Sanley–

King Princess - Girl Violence (section1)

Brooklyn-based multi-hyphenate Mikaela Strauss (aka King Princess) returns with her bold third studio album. Born out of turmoil, ‘Girl Violence’ explores how to return to oneself after being put through the wringer, from the pressure of fame to break ups with both a romantic partner and a major label. That tension adds great emotional weight to Strauss’s distinct, gritty pop sound. Every infectious hook lands with a cunning jab, keeping listeners on their toes as they bob and weave through the captivating chaos. –CS

Peki Momés - Peki Momés (Mocambo Records)

The debut self-titled album from Turkish artist Peki Momès is fun, vibrant and full of life. Her playful, genre-blurring fusion of psych, city pop, disco, jazz, and funk shines across twelve captivating tracks, each one peeling back a new layer of her dynamic global groove. –CS

Polyrhythmics - Life from Below (Polyrhythmics)

The eighth studio album from Seattle’s Polyrhythmics is an explosive blend of funk, soul, psych, Afrobeat, jazz and more. ‘Life from Below’ marks fifteen years of the seven-piece playing together, recorded live to capture the raw dynamism of their craft. With funky guitars, lively horns, vibrant keys, and driving percussion, Polyrhythmics are in prime form on this groovy new collection. –CS

Titanic - HAGEN (Unheard Of Hope)

The new album from Mexico City-based duo Héctor Tosta and Mabe Fratti, aka Titanic, is a mind-blowing display of innovative art pop. ‘HAGEN’ features dramatic soundscapes, rich with cello, synths, guitars, intricate drum patterns, hypnotic rhythms, and Fratti’s commanding vocals, resulting in an undeniable collection of dynamic, inventive pop that elevates their already remarkable craft.  –CS

Algernon Cadwallader - Trying Not to Have a Thought (Saddle Creek)

The third album from revered Philadelphia emo band Algernon Cadwallader is their first in 14 years and finds their original line-up – vocalist-bassist Peter Helmis, guitarists Joe Reinhart (of Hop Along) and Colin Mahoney, and drummer Nick Tazza – delivering a sharp comeback effort of impassioned, energetic, triumphant indie rock. Written across two rural retreats on either side of the country, first in our backyard of Snoqualmie, Washington before a return to the Poconos in the woods of Pennsylvania, ‘Trying Not to Have a Thought’ is a bold, heart-on-sleeve record full of passionate vocals, nuanced songwriting, incisive lyrics, mathy riffs, tight rhythms, and wide-eyed DIY energy that’s ripe for new and die-hard fans alike. -AR

Alicia Clara - Nothing Dazzled (self-released)

The debut album from this Montreal-based artist is a promising set of hazy dream-pop, delicate indie pop, lush indie folk, and fuzzy indie rock that’s carried throughout by her warm, gentle vocals. -AR

Bass Drum of Death - Six (Cobraside)

The aptly titled sixth studio album from Mississippi-formed, Nashville-based Bass Drum Of Death is a ripping dose of gritty garage rock. Led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist John Barrett, the band delivers raw, rough-around-the-edges tracks that pack a punch with searing guitars and thunderous percussion. –CS

Cafuné - Bite Reality (Aurelians Club)

The second album from this NYC duo composed of Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo – who’s 2021 debut album ‘Running’ included the unexpected TikTok-fueled viral hit “Tek It” – is a solid set of dreamy alt-pop with a penchant for fuzzy shoegaze and a 90s’ DIY undercurrent. -AR

Hayley Williams - Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party (Post Atlantic)

The third solo album from adored singer-songwriter and Paramore member Hayley Williams taps into her chameleonic talents as she navigates an amorphous pop landscape informed by rock, alt-pop, pop-punk, and alternative styles with her striking, generational voice shining throughout. With Paramore recently celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album ‘All We Know Is Falling,’ Hayley has ascended to a singular place within the music world, garnering a passionate fanbase that includes an exceptionally wide spectrum of music makers. ‘Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party’ follows collaborations this year with Turnstile, David Byrne, and Moses Sumney, and also marks the official launch of her own independent label Post Atlantic, a nod to her recent separation from her longtime major label, Atlantic Records. -AR

james K - Friend (AD 93)

The third full-length album from NYC’s Jamie Krasner (aka james K) is a revelation of expansive chillout music that reflects back to the 90s for inspiration while forging ahead with a cutting-edge, genre-fluid vision fueled by her crystalline productions, glitchy electronics, ethereal vocals, and airy melodies. The summation of a cool, eclectic run of singles that kicked off with 2024’s masterful “Blinkmoth (July Mix),” ‘Friend’ floats through a hypnotic hybrid of trip-hop, dream-pop, shoegaze, downtempo soul, IDM, and other tangential styles, while not being afraid to tackle guitar-led indie rock terrain (“On God,” “Play”) for its most extroverted moments. -AR

mark william lewis - Mark William Lewis (A24)

The sophomore album from London-based singer, songwriter, and producer Mark William Lewis is a delicious slice of moody, evocative indie rock, infused with touches of slowcore, folk, bedroom pop, and ambient. Propelled by his deep timbre, raw lyricism, and intriguing arrangements, the cinematic soundscapes on this self-titled effort are gripping from first note to last, establishing Lewis as a singular voice with this stunning second outing. –Chris Sanley–

Parcels - LOVED (Because Music)

The third studio album from Australian five-piece Parcels is a revelation. With their vivid, technicolor blend of disco, pop, and soul, ‘LOVED’ radiates dreamy harmonies, funky rhythms, and intoxicating hooks. This joyful twelve-track collection highlights their sharp musicianship as they get more personal than ever before, lyrically and emotionally. Oh, to love and be ‘LOVED.’ –CS

Robin Kester - Dark Sky Reserve (Memphis Industries)

The second album from this Rotterdam-based Dutch singer, songwriter, and guitarist Robin Kester is a strong set of smartly-crafted indie dream-pop with a colorful art-pop streak and a light psychedelic touch. -AR

Saint Etienne - International (Heavenly/[PIAS])

The 13th and final studio album from this beloved British pop trio is a colorful trip down memory lane as the three longtime friends, now in their 45th of existence, deliver an assured swansong full of melodic dance-pop gems steeped in a heavy 90s’ sheen. Early singles “Take Me to the Pilot” (co-produced by Orbital’s Paul Hartnoll) and “Glad” serve as the record’s highpoints amidst a buoyant and largely optimistic cruise into Saint Etienne’s pastel-colored sunset. -AR

Sir Chloe - Swallow The Knife (ONErpm)

The sophomore album from NYC-based, Vermont-bred Sir Chloe is a captivating set of grunge, pop, and shoegaze inflected indie rock. Boasting infectious hooks, expressive vocals, and raw, fiery lyricism (“I don’t want love, I want revenge”), ‘Swallow The Knife’ finds frontwoman Dana Foote channeling the rage of surviving an abusive relationship into eleven reflective, freeing, and inspiring tracks. –CS