New Music Reviews (10/26)

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 Caroline Rose, Jazzy, Shabazz Palaces, and more. 

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Caroline Rose - Gentling the Horse at the Walt Whitman Mall (SUCK Records)
Eccentric, adventurous, and deeply emotive, Caroline Rose has carved out a special, sacred space for themselves in the contemporary music landscape. Never one to stay in a single lane for too long, Rose set out to make a playful fusion of their favorite genres for their sixth studio album, working with masterful producer John Congleton to bring together “cowpunk, sugary pop, psychobilly, rudimentary electronic, surf, dream folk, etc.” The result is as successful as it is catchy as hell. Enthusiastically independent, Gentling the Horse at the Walt Whitman Mall is the first release on Rose’s own label, SUCK Records, and a celebration of their fun, free-spirited approach to songwriting. Life has been a wild ride, but for now, it feels like everything is in its right place for Rose.  –CS

Jazzy - Peace & Patience (Chaos Records)
The debut album from Irish singer, songwriter, DJ, and producer Jazzy, born Yasmine Byrne, is an exhilarating fusion of pop-inflected dance, house, UK garage, ‘90s club, and R&B. Electrifying beats pulse across thirteen dynamic tracks with bouncy bass, sparkling keys, deliciously textured production, and Jazzy’s seductive vocals. Poised for the dance floor at any hour, Peace & Patience is an exemplary debut that just oozes euphoria. –CS

Shabazz Palaces - It’s a Style Sport (Sub Pop) 
Seattle hip-hop wizard Ishmael Butler returns with another out-of-this-world Shabazz Palaces record. With sonic alchemy only he could whip up, he moves through experimental, electronic, Afrofuturistic, and alt-hip-hop terrain with artful fluidity. Bringing several trusted collaborators into the mix, including Erik Blood and Kassa Overall, he delivers ten shapeshifting tracks packed with spacey synths, inventive drum patterns, and layered guitars and bass. Flexing his evocative poetry, innovative arrangements, and avant-garde production, Butler proves it’s not just a vibe … ‘It’s a Style Sport.’ –CS

Alchemical Sisters - Alchemical Sisters (Interdimensional Transmissions)
Together as Alchemical Sisters, New Hampshire-based DJs, producers, and longtime queer couple Eris Drew and Maya Bouldry-Morrison (aka Octo Octa) unveil a brilliant debut album of euphoric, psychedelic, sample-happy dance music bursting with a housey Big Beat pulse and colorful touches of acid, electro, and techno. Both voracious, passionate, encyclopedic students of dance music, as well as super accomplished solo artists in their own right, Eris and Maya’s official union of their meticulous musical vision is synchronous magic, an elevated level-up within their discography, and one of the strongest electronic/dance LPs of the year. Nestled towards the end of the album’s masterful run of joyful jams is the distinctive highlight “Song For New Hampshire," a trippy, folky, dulcimer-led SOTY candidate. –AR

Art d’Ecco - Scheele’s Green (Paper Bag)
The fifth album from this Vancouver, BC-based artist is another strong set of exuberant glam-rock and provocative art-rock with confident forays into prog, psych, and New Wave. Bookended by a pair of fantastical numbers in the seven-minute opener “The Death of Indie” and the operatic, shape-shifting closer “Endings for Beginners,” Scheele’s Green is an epic, entertaining, frequently saxophone-laced journey that serves as Art d’Ecco’s “fiery reckoning” against a world afflicted by AI, technocracy, climate collapse, the military industrial complex, “and, well, everything else.” –AR

Dazy - MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD Vol. 2: 24 Songs From 2023-2026 (Lame-O Records) 
Prolific power pop aficionado James Goodson serves up the second installment of Dazy’s MAXIMUMBLASTSUPERLOUD. Bucking the traditional album release cycle in favor of singles, EPs, and collections, this 24-track release spans 2023-2026 and includes stellar cuts from the 2025 EP Bad Penny. Throughout, Goodson delivers classic Dazy songcraft with dense guitars, gripping drum patterns, big hooks, and a heavy nostalgia rooted in ‘80s and ‘90s influences.  –CS

DJ Suzy - Kira Krash (Kira Krash)
Often wonderfully reminiscent of PinkPantheress’ early output, this second album from Stockholm-based Swedish artist DJ Suzy (aka Suzy Viktoria Ekman Ronander) is a sweet set of bouncy alt-R&B and bubblegum dance-pop with a sleek pop sensibility and a glistening Y2K-tinted charm. –AR

Fine - Jazz dreams (Escho) 
The sophomore album from Danish singer, songwriter, and producer Fine Glindvad, known simply as Fine, is nothing short of addictive. With dreamy, prismatic compositions that blend indie pop, experimental, and folk elements into a soundscape entirely her own, Jazz dreams feels like a collection of pocket-sized treasures that embody larger-than-life explorations. Her hazy, hypnagogic vocals weave through textured arrangements of guitars, keys, flutes, synths, bass, and drums, resulting in a delightfully transportive, melancholic affair. –CS

GWEN - UMA (Libertino)
GWEN is the solo alias of Gwenllian Anthony, a Welsh musician and co-founding member of the acclaimed post-punk trio Adwaith. Her debut album is a thrilling set of magnetic underground pop that blurs together elements of post-punk, synth-pop, art-rock, and alt-pop into its own bold, immediate, transfixing lane. GWEN’s magnetic sound is further accented by her charismatic vocal delivery and lyrics sung almost entirely in Cymraeg, her native Welsh language. –AR

Michael Kiwanuka - FUDGE (Interscope) 
It’s nearly impossible not to well up in tears while listening to Michael Kiwanuka’s stunning fifth studio album. FUDGE arrives shortly after Kiwanuka revealed he has been recovering from a stroke over the past several months, a serious health emergency that occurred after finishing the record. For the first time since his 2012 debut, Kiwanuka self-produced the album, leaning into a free, fluid approach that gives it an airy, enduring quality. Lush arrangements of strings, guitars, keys, and percussion swirl around his breathtaking orchestral soul, blurring the line between classic and contemporary with elements of R&B, rock, and folk. His rich, velvety vocals glide through bittersweet ruminations on doubt, the creative process, and resilience. Raw and earnest, FUDGE is an intimate gift for listeners to cherish, revealing the beautiful heart and soul behind Kiwanuka’s craft.  –CS

Ovrkast. - STRIKING (three times LOUDER)
The latest studio album from Oakland rapper/producer Ovrkast. (aka Silas Wilson) is a solid set of soulful, woozy, jazzy hip-hop that pairs his steady low-key flow and honest lyrics with warm, lush, boom-bap beats. The album arrives soon after legendary duo OutKast filed a lawsuit against Wilson alleging "illegal use of the nearly identical name.” –AR

TVOD - The Farm (Mothland/Get Better)
The sophomore album from Brooklyn outfit TVOD is an infectious set of post-punk, garage rock, and punk heaters. With potent guitars, lively keys, punchy bass, exhilarating percussion, and Tyler Wright’s theatrical, expressive vocals, The Farm pulsates with undeniable energy. Bouncing between welcome escapism and pointed examinations of sociopolitical realities, this eleven-track collection finds the six-piece locked in and ready to rip. –CS

Avery Laird - Sleepwalker (Sleepwalker)
The debut album from Toronto-based singer-songwriter Avery Laird is a thrilling fusion of indie rock, alt-country, and grunge, lovingly self-described as “gruntry.” With delicious guitar tones, emotionally resonant lyricism, and a vocal delivery that leaves listeners hanging on every word, Sleepwalker, toes the line between refined and rough around the edges, retaining a raw, playful quality through intriguing textures and manipulations. –CS

Billboard Style - Pull of the Moon (Good English)
The debut album from Billboard Style, a new project from Ben Guterl of Forth Wanderers and Dan Howard of Victoryland, is a delightful set of hook-laden jangle pop. With excellent guitar riffs, hazy synths, driving percussion, and charming DIY production, Pull of the Moon finds the pair exploring the complexities of love. Blending classic song structures with inventive textures, Billboard Style make a stellar introduction with this first outing.  –CS

Camille Munn - Desire To Be (Brighter Days Family)
The second EP from this London-based vocalist and songwriter is a fresh set of soulful R&B grooves with a UK-steeped dancefloor pulse that touch upon house, broken beat, and UKG flavors. –AR

Dead Gowns - Vegas (Mtn Laurel Recording Co.)
The sophomore album from Portland, ME-based singer-songwriter Geneviève Beaudoin, aka Dead Gowns, is a captivating set of raw, tender indie folk. Flexing her skills as a composer and poet, Beaudoin pairs acoustic and electric guitars, piano, synths, and dynamic percussion with her rich, enchanting vocals that move from a hush to a yodeling howl. Steeped in deep emotion, Vegas explores the grief of a lost friendship and the ways it can mirror romantic heartbreak. What a stunning, timeless collection.  –CS

N8NOFACE - Tomorrow’s World (Stones Throw)
The latest album from LA-based, Arizona-raised artist N8NOFACE (aka Nathan Hose) is a potent set of hard-hitting synth-punk and gritty darkwave with an in-your-face cyberpunk swagger. Fully produced by TV On the Radio’s Dave Sitek and featuring contributions from Hudson Mohawke, Angélica Garcia and Nick Zinner, Tomorrow’s World boasts a few stellar, soaring highlights and boldly taps into Stones Throw’s sporadic penchant for scuzzy, retro-futuristic, DIY punk jams.  –AR

Omasta - Hits Different (Astigmatic)
The second album from this Kraków-based five-piece band – who launched their project in February 2024 with a live tribute concert dedicated to J Dilla's beats at Kraków's Paul's Boutique Record Store – is a strong set of evocative, funky, instrumental jazz with a heavy hip-hop influence. Ranging from frenetic uptempo jams to more subdued laidback vibes, Hits Different is an engaging journey top-to-bottom that signals the legit ascent of Omasta as a notable breakout act in the contemporary jazz scene. –AR

Rachel Chinouriri - I think I spoke too soon (Parlophone)
The second studio album from this English singer, songwriter, and producer is a solid set of sleek, smart, anthemic pop that leans heavily into buoyant dance-pop, kicking off with the brilliant lead single “One song away from crying” (one of 2026’s finest pop moments imo), but still finds room to dive into some punchy pop/punk fare (“AAAHHH!!!”) and spritely alt-pop. –AR

Ryan Hemsworth - Numbskull (Topshelf)
The first new solo album in eight years from chameleonic Canadian producer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Hemsworth finds him filtering his fresh electronic beats and intricate sound-design talents through a gritty, blown-out, guitar-heavy aesthetic that’s heavily informed by his early love of angsty, emotional, enveloping rock music. While there’s moments that nod to his older, moodier, beats-focused catalog, namely “A Display of Emotion,” Numbskull is a largely an adrenaline rush of distorted pop that jumps around emo-pop-punk anthems (“Never Learned” with Tegan and Sara), menacing rap-rock (“No One Else” with MSPAINT), and hi-NRG Big Beat rhythms (“Break”) with a wide-eyed glee. –AR

Sour Widows - Sigil (Julia’s War)
The sophomore studio album from Bay Area duo Sour Widows is a captivating set of densely layered indie rock. Swarms of guitars, strings, keys, and drums expand and contract as Maia Sinaiko and Susanna Thomson explore heavy subject matter from genocide and emotional cruelty to loss and breakthroughs. Sigil finds Sour Widows pushing their sound and psyches to the limit, resulting in a complex, gripping listen. –CS

Two Shell - Infinite Now (Young)
The second official album from this British production duo is a fun set of sleek futuristic dancefloor grooves that twists their cheeky playfulness towards highly-digitized rhythms and turbo-charged female vocals, the latter likely AI-generated, yet they slot somewhat fittingly within Two Shell’s synthetic world. It doesn’t necessarily capture the visionary highs of their early catalog, but Infinite Now still showcases their exceptional sound design talents, deft ability to create 4D club beats, and knack for cooking up some mesmerizing club jams, especially the Y2K-soaked UKG/dance/pop of early single “Thinking About You.” –AR

Wonjin - Mangsangrok (Balming Tiger) 
The debut solo album from Balming Tiger’s Wonjin is a mesmerizing, genre-bending journey. Traversing psychedelic soul, R&B, experimental, ambient, chamber pop, and Korean soundscapes, these eleven adventurous tracks keep listeners on the edge of their seats as he entices and delights at every turn. Exploring “delusional thoughts” with intricate arrangements, dreamy textures, and undeniable musicianship, Mangsangrok marks a thrilling new chapter for this singer, songwriter, producer, and vocalist. –CS