New Music Reviews (6/1)

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 Francis of Delirium, Iceage, Boards of Canada, and more. 

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Francis of Delirium - Run, Run Pure Beauty (Dalliance)
The sophomore album from Luxembourg-based project Francis of Delirium, led by singer, songwriter, and guitarist Jana Bahrich, is a maximalist set of pop-tinged indie rock. Propelled by her beautifully expressive vocals, at times almost operatic, Run, Run Pure Beauty keeps listeners firmly in Bahrich’s grip with expansive, orchestral arrangements and infectious hooks. Following her impressive 2024 debut, this new collection is a big step forward, further cementing Francis of Delirium as an indie rock powerhouse. –CS

Iceage - For Love of Grace & the Hereafter (Mexican Summer) 
The stellar sixth studio album from Danish quintet Iceage is playful and poign bb[ant, delivering a compelling set of melodic post-punk inflected with bouts of shoegaze, art rock, and a little bit of twang for good measure. With frenetic arrangements featuring dizzying guitars, intricate drum work, and Elias Bender Rønnenfelt’s emphatic vocals, For Love of Grace & the Hereafter is a textured, mercurial collection full of unexpected twists and turns as it dissects the push and pull of modern existence. –CS

Boards of Canada - Inferno (Warp)
Thirteen years since their latest surfacing, revered Scottish duo Boards of Canada return with their fifth full-length album of haunting, magnetic, often ominous, and sometimes dreamy beats. BoC’s trademark touches – heavy slow-motion drums, eerie synths, mysterious vocal samples, a peculiar, cryptic, and deeply enigmatic world-building vision – are all present here, and there’s an appropriately sinister thread that largely courses throughout Inferno. The lone early single “Prophecy At 1420 MHz” officially kicks off the album’s shadowy journey and quickly leans into the album’s darker, heftier palette, yet the full 18-track experience yields some delightful surprises along the way. “Blood In The Labyrinth,” “You Retreat In Time And Space,” and “Memory Death” offer relatively blissful reprieves, recalling the hopeful, spacious undercurrents of their early catalog, and the hypnotic and otherworldly voices that accent “Nakara” and “The Word Becomes Flesh” deliver a pair of highlights more baked into their hellish hauntological landscape. –AR

Chico Detour - Wash It Down EP (Den Tapes)
The second EP from this rising Seattle band fronted by Sebastian Felipé is a sharp set of throwback garage rock and vintage surf rock that brings a refreshed energy to the fuzzy, fast, fun psychedelia of the 1950s and 1960s. –AR

Greg Mendez - Beauty Land (Dead Oceans) 
Philadelphia singer-songwriter Greg Mendez unveils his stunning sixth album, his Dead Oceans debut. With deceptively simple song structures built primarily around acoustic guitars, keys, and Mendez’s emotive vocals that occasionally stretch into a falsetto, his intimate, heartfelt lyricism cuts straight to the heart. The result is Beauty Land, a deeply resonant collection defined by masterful songwriting and profound vulnerability.  –CS

KÁRYYN - PHYSICS UNIVERSAL LOVE LANGUAGE (PULL) (Mute) 
The sophomore album from Syrian-Armenian-American singer, producer, and composer KÁRYYN is a total knockout. Arriving over seven years after her debut, this new ten-track collection features a kaleidoscopic blend of electropop, neoclassical, ambient, and art pop soundscapes with modular synths, strings, driving rhythms, and her mesmerizing vocals. With deep emotion and inventive production, she crafts a dense, immersive sonic tapestry on PHYSICS UNIVERSAL LOVE LANGUAGE (PULL), which she summarizes beautifully: “I went hunting for dark matter. Instead I found brilliance, light, and potential.”  –CS

Konyikeh - Cinere (FAMM)
The debut mini-album from this London-based singer, songwriter, musician, and producer is a strong, striking set of evocative R&B/soul music that spotlights her magnificent voice over an eclectic range of backdrops that swoop and sway from sparse orchestral moments to lively funk grooves. All held together by a magnetic cinematic streak and Konyikeh’s captivating vocals, Cinere – taken from the Latin term ‘Ex cinere’ meaning “to rise from the ashes” – signals the emergence of a versatile artist with a clear-eyed vision.  –AR

Kurt Vile - Philadelphia's been good to me (Verve) 
Slacker rocker extraordinaire Kurt Vile returns with his largely self-produced tenth album. With his nonchalant vocal delivery, stream-of-consciousness lyricism, and virtuosic guitar work, Vile reflects on middle age, his hometown, and the roots that shaped him, resulting in a rich and relaxed collection. He shares: “This is my ‘bringing it all back home to Philly’ record. I’m treating it like my last record. I put everything into it. It’s my best vocal record. It’s my best electric guitar record. It’s my most organic record, made in the comfort of my own zone.” –CS

Sosyete '25 - Yaygara (Tru Thoughts)
Sosyete ‘25 are a London-based trio fronted by Istanbul-born vocalist and musician Merve Erdem, who’s also one-half of the Brainfeeder Records psychedelic pop duo Kit Sebastian. Their debut album is a consistently thrilling set of colorful, kaleidoscopic, addictive Turkish psychedelic-disco-funk with Erdem singing gloriously in her native language over the band’s incredibly groovy backdrops. –AR

villagerrr - Carousel (Winspear)
Columbus, OH-based singer-songwriter Mark Scott has been quietly making a splash with his villagerrr project over the past several years, culminating in this fifth album. While now at home at Winspear, Carousel still carries a DIY ethos, but with Scott that’s more like “do it with your friends,” featuring a robust cast of musicians adding backing vocals, keys, glockenspiel, pedal steel, strings, banjo, and more to bring these tenderhearted songs to fruition. His distinct sonic palette is a fusion of folk, slowcore, and indie rock, realized through intimate, emotive lyricism and deliciously layered arrangements that range from lush and bold to minimalist ballads. This ten-track collection is a testament to his immense talent as a songwriter and storyteller, instilling an earnest sense of hope with each listen. –CS

Widemouth - No Gasoline (Urban Scandal)
The debut album from this Chicago band co-fronted by Mak Carnahan and Jamie Eder is an impressive set of evocative, intimate, dynamic indie rock that burrows into a tender intersection of slowcore, alt-country, and indie folk. With close friends Mak and Jamie delicately duetting throughout No Gasoline, there’s an emotional fragility and trusted closeness that poignantly pervades the record’s raw, heart-on-sleeve, coming-of-age sound. –AR

A/S/L - Burnt Out Disco For Club Rats EP (Future Gods)
The third EP from this mysterious LA-based artist continues to showcase his joyful, sample-heavy, nostalgia-soaked electronic grooves heavy on infectious house and party-starting disco rhythms. There’s nods to R&B legendary cuts – Jodeci’s “Freek’n You” on opening cut “Every Freakin Night,” Maxwell’s “Sumthin' Sumthin'” on “Cashman Jack (XL Hotmix)” –  amidst the six songs on this skip-free set with each track packing a ton of bounce and energy into their sub-3-minute duration. –AR

Brian Jackson - Now More Than Ever (BBE)
Brian Jackson stays true to his statement: “Collaboration is stimulating, it's in my blood.” On the legendary musician’s new collection, he joins forces with producers Masters at Work and guests including Black Thought, Rahsaan Patterson, Josh Milan, Moodymann, Omar, and J. Ivy, among many others, to breathe new life into songs from his robust catalogue. With a captivating fusion of jazz, soul, R&B, hip-hop, funk, and spoken word, the messages at the heart of Now More Than Ever resonate as much today as they did in the ‘70s and ‘80s. –CS

feeble little horse - bitknot (Saddle Creek)
The new surprise album from Pittsburgh outfit feeble little horse is a moody, textured collection of hook-laden noise pop and indie rock. With layered guitars, intriguing manipulations, and hazy vocals, their third full-length, bitknot, showcases the band’s artful arrangements and pointed social commentary –CS

Future Islands - From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth (4AD)
Baltimore quartet Future Islands have spent the last two decades embedding their distinct synths, playful drum patterns, and Samuel T. Herring’s singular vocals (and dance moves) deep in the heads and hearts of their fans. Their new collection, From a Hole in the Floor to a Fountain of Youth, is a celebratory retrospective featuring b-sides, demos, rarities, and tour exclusives “for everyone who has carried these songs with them, from the first house parties to the rooms we’re playing today” explains bassist William Cashion. –CS

Marika Christine - Enjoy The Clouds (Anxiety Blanket Records) 
The sophomore album from San Francisco-based singer-songwriter Marika Christine is a lush, enchanting blend of indie folk and chamber pop. With ornate arrangements embellished with flute, keys, saxophone, and pedal steel, Enjoy The Clouds showcases Christine’s sweet, tender lyricism, finding beauty in “the highs and lows of life.”  –CS

Naomi Scott - F.I.G (ALTER Music)
Sonically residing in the vicinity of Shura’s 2016 debut album ‘Nothing’s Real’ and Carly Rae Jepsen’s 2015 masterpiece ‘Emotion,’ British musician/actress Naomi Scott’s debut album is a sleek set of sophisticated pop with a mainstream sheen, a personable charm, a universal appeal, and a nostalgic touch. Entirely produced by Norwegian musician Lido, who has worked closely with Aminé, Jordan Ward, BANKS, Aluna, Halsey, and countless more, and featuring a fitting co-production credit from Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) on “Cut Me Loose,” F.I.G (an acronym for Fall Into Grace) is a delightful and quickly addictive crossover pop album from a veteran actress who’s quietly emerging as a bonafide pop artist. Early single “Cherry” is a great entry point and carries a wonderful early 2000s vibe. –AR

Tank and the Bangas - The Last Balloon (Verve) 
The final installment in their Balloon trilogy finds New Orleans-based outfit Tank and the Bangas flexing their lively blend of funk, R&B, soul, and hip-hop with lyrics that range from heartfelt to mischievous. Led by dynamo Tarriona "Tank" Ball’s vocals, The Last Balloon pairs the band’s lush arrangements with standout guest appearances from Dawn Richard, Lucky Daye, and Ledisi, among others, resulting in a fun, dynamic listen.  –CS

The Bug Club - Every Single Muscle (Sub Pop)
The fifth full-length album – and third since signing with Sub Pop in 2024 – from this prolific Welsh outfit led by Sam Willmett and Tilly Harris is another fun, swift, rambunctious set of scrappy garage-punk and playful garage-rock. –AR

TOMI - Break It Til You Fix It (self-released)
The second album from this solo project of LA-based queer musician and film composer Pam Autuori – who has also toured with the likes of The War on Drugs, Romy (of The xx), KT Tunstall, Ani DiFranco, Matt Nathanson and Electric Guest – is an impressive set of smartly-crafted Americana and diaristic alt-country with songs often cleverly, memorably exploring the highs, lows, and nuances of falling in and out of love. –AR