New Music Reviews (9/28)

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 Blondshell, Julia Jacklin, Leon Bridges, and more. 

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Blondshell - Violins (Partisan) 
Hot on the heels of her stellar sophomore album, 2025’s If You Asked For A Picture, LA-based singer-songwriter Sabrina Teitelbaum returns with her third Blondshell album. Staying the course with bigger, bolder arrangements and production while maintaining a raw, approachable edge, Violins finds Teitelbaum as confident and unbridled as ever, flexing her signature evocative vocals, intimate lyricism, and undeniable talents in songcraft. Moving through grunge-inflected rockers and tender ballads, this dynamic eleven-track collection is rife with emotional imagery, marking another exceptional album in the Blondshell canon. –CS

Julia Jacklin - The Gem (4AD)
Melbourne-based singer, songwriter, and producer Julia Jacklin has one of those voices that allows listeners to feel what she feels and see what she sees, with a delicate stretch and an enchanting yodel. On her fourth studio album, and 4AD debut, Jacklin unveils a refined set of atmospheric rock and indie pop, with hazy guitars, flourishes of keys, subtle percussion, sweet harmonies, and that voice of hers front and center. Speaking about the album’s themes, she shares: “I want to love and be loved, but I also want to be free. The tension between those two things has been the central question of my life.” With velvety, textured arrangements, she explores this dichotomy to jaw-dropping effect. –CS

Leon Bridges - Happiness Anytime (Columbia)  
Texas singer-songwriter Leon Bridges returns with his vibrant fifth studio album. Produced by Jungle’s J Lloyd-Watson and Lydia Kitto, Happiness Anytime features a boundless, eclectic fusion of alt-R&B and neo-soul with lively rhythms and undeniable grooves. Bridges' smooth, buttery vocals take center stage, backed by propulsive arrangements of funky bass, guitars, horns, keys, flute, and organ that transport listeners between past and present. –CS

Adult DVD - Adult DVD (Fat Possum)
The debut album from this Leeds, UK-based outfit is an exhilarating set of anthemic, propulsive, enveloping synth-dance-punk jams. Existing in the thrilling “space between electronic euphoria and spiky hardcore energy,” Adult DVD bolster their incisive and sardonic punk songs with sweet analogue synths and relentless rhythms, yielding an addictive collection of songs primed for both sweaty mosh pits and sweaty dancefloors. –AR

beabadoobee - Pylon (Dirty Hit/Interscope)
Filipino-British singer-songwriter Beatrice Laus, aka beabadoobee, returns with her striking fourth studio album. Seamlessly oscillating between grunge-infused rockers and ornate pop meditations, Pylon feels lush, expansive, and lived in. Featuring memorable guitar lines and distinct vocals that move from sweet and breathy to fierce and commanding, these fourteen tracks showcase an artist assured and unafraid to grow and evolve. –CS

Chloé Caillet - Dance Again EP (Ninja Tune)
The new EP from French-American DJ and producer Chloé Caillet is an incendiary set of dance music that is just downright F-U-N. With an infectious blend of house, disco, club, and rave, Caillet’s Dance Again will make listeners do just that, with pulsing beats, bouncy basslines, scintillating synths, and gripping hooks. –CS

Freak Slug - Amulet (Future Classic)  
The sophomore album from Manchester singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Xenya Genovese, aka Freak Slug, is a tantalizingly woozy blend of indie rock, indie pop, and shoegaze. With atmospheric guitars, matter-of-fact vocal delivery, and deeply personal lyrics that explore spirituality, past lives, and identity, Amulet finds Genovese leveling up her craft as she walks the line between playful and profound. –CS

Gurriers - Nobody's Coming To Save You (Play It Again Sam) 
The sophomore album from Dublin outfit Gurriers is big, bold, and bombastic. With seething guitars, explosive percussion, and impassioned vocals, Nobody’s Coming To Save You is steeped in protest and resilience, channeling their intensity into a riveting exercise in catharsis. –CS

Kiefer - Memory Bomb (Blue Note)
For his latest full-length studio album and solo debut on the legendary Blue Note Records label, LA-based keyboardist/producer Kiefer Shackelford continues to create fresh music that sits at the intersection of jazz, hip-hop, and soul. While his previous solo album was an all-instrumental affair, Memory Bomb is a stacked with guest vocalists that includes Erick the Architect, Rae Khalil, Moonchild’s Amber Navran, Planet Giza, Gareth Donkin, and more, and Kiefer’s warm, lush, laidback beats and sumptuous keys serve as the album’s tasty, cohesive foundation.  –AR

UCHE YARA - BODYSCANNER (goldendays FM) 
The debut album from Berlin-based Austrian-Nigerian producer and multi-instrumentalist UCHE YARA is one of the most inventive releases of 2026. Speaking about the record’s creation, she shares: “I’ve written the album with my body, and now my mind knows it.” With an innovative blend of art pop, electronic, alt-R&B, and post-club with a punk edge, BODYSCANNER is as alluring as it is jarring to the senses. Boasting dynamic vocals, distorted guitars, dark beats, syncopated rhythms, and intriguing sonic manipulations, this eleven-track collection balances grit with compelling hooks, offering a thrilling glimpse into UCHE’s singular vision. –CS

YEИDRY - Como agua (Sony Music Latin)
YEИDRY is the alias of Yendry Fiorentino, a Dominican/Italian artist who was born in Santo Domingo, raised in Turin, and has previously collaborated with J Balvin, Damian Marley, Bomba Estéreo, Emotional Oranges, and Lous and the Yakuza. Her debut album is a breakout set of vibrant Latin pop that fuses alt-R&B, cutting-edge electronic production, and an array of Latin styles – reggaeton, flamenco, dembow, bachata – to create an adventurous, fluid sound able to tackle both tender alt-pop and bold club-pop with confidence, while often combining both extremes into her own lane. –AR

Babehoven - I See Them, I See Me (Double Double Whammy)  
The third studio album from Hudson, NY-based duo Babehoven, composed of singer-songwriter Maya Bon and multi-instrumentalist and producer Ryan Albert, is a melancholic set of homegrown indie folk. With layered compositions featuring guitars, fiddle, keys, banjo, and percussion propelling Bon’s tenderhearted lyricism and expressive vocals, I See Them, I See Me finds Babehoven zooming out and back in, searching for meaning in life, love, and music. –CS

Beck - Ride Lonesome (Capitol) 
The fifteenth studio album from celebrated singer, songwriter, and producer Beck is a beautifully understated set of orchestral alt rock. His first collection of new material in nearly seven years arrives in the aftermath of divorce, underscoring the raw, introspective lyricism at its core. Sweeping, cinematic arrangements of acoustic guitars, strings, keys, woodwinds, harp, and electric guitar guide his ethereal vocals as he moves through heartbreak, forging a new path forward. –CS

Bullion - Nearly (Ghostly International)
The latest full-length album from British musician Nathan Jenkins (aka Bullion) – who recently co-wrote and co-produced Avalon Emerson & The Charm’s excellent record Written into Changes – is another sweet set of crystalline synth-pop with a cerebral, charming, and catchy avant-pop slant. His immaculate productions shine bright throughout, and his voice is more front-and-center here, the lone guest vocals coming from British singer L Devine who appears on a couple tracks, including standout early single “Francis Ford.”  –AR

Dogs on Shady Lane - Knots (Lauren)
The debut album from this NYC-via-Providence band fronted by Tori Hall is an impressive set of arty, dynamic, folky indie rock that finds Hall’s intimate songwriting, earworm melodies, and the band’s sweet harmonies roaming across a landscape that confidently flits between dreamy and muscular.  –AR

Hermanos Gutiérrez - Los Ojos Del Cóndor (Easy Eye Sound)
The latest album from this duo composed of Swiss-Ecuadorian brothers brothers Alejandro and Estevan Gutiérrez is another evocative set of transportive instrumental pieces that continues to spotlight their dreamy, cinematic, Latin-slanted take on classic spaghetti western scores and their distinctive, lyrical intertwining guitars with subtle flourishes of accordion, strings, and organ. –AR

ISHA - Feel At Home (Sidekick Music)
The debut album from this Dutch musician finds her fully embracing her own voice and story as a singer/songwriter after originally emerging as an in-demand bassist/producer and she delivers a strong set of bright, catchy, soulful pop songs infused with groovy strains of R&B, funk, disco, and jazz and accented by her fresh synth-tinted production. Fully written and produced independently while lyrically exploring vulnerable personal themes of “shifts in personal relations, role patterns, and dynamics” with those in her inner circle and how they consistently move and change, Feel At Home is a confident coming-out party for this queer artist as she steps properly into the spotlight. –AR

Jam City - My World (Mad Decent/Earthly)
The fifth album from British musician Jack Latham (aka Jam City) is another sleek showcase of his futuristic synth-pop vision that blends his ahead-of-the-curve production talents with an addictive, sultry, late-night R&B/funk/club streak. Similar to his awesome 2023 album Jam City Presents EFM, My World is accented by a handful of guest vocalists who glide and flicker atop Jam City’s magnetic backdrops. Nigerian-born, West London-based rapper Bawo twists the brilliant opening title track into distinctive hip-hop territory, frequent vocal collaborator Aidan appears a few times, including the knockout Prince-esque jam “Little Vice,” while fellow bubbling underground artists Sølv, Luna Avelar, Hannah Yadi, gianna, and Ox Eye also make appearances. –AR

Maria Usbeck - Canciones De Amor EP (Cascine)
The latest EP from Brooklyn-based Ecuadorian artist Maria Usbeck (also formerly of Selebrities and Soda Shop) is a lovely set of dreamy art-pop, evocative Latin-pop, and lush synth-pop that finds her singing in both Spanish and English. “Lagrimas” is a unique traditional Latin folk centerpiece, while its surrounding songs explore her ethereal, pillowy, and lightly groovy electro-acoustic lane.  –AR

megiapa - Intentions (International Anthem)  
The debut studio album from LA-based, Ohio-born singer, songwriter, producer, and visual artist megiapa is a brilliant fusion of R&B, jazz, electronic, and soul. Arriving after a long string of EPs and mixtapes, this collection is the culmination of a decade of cultivation in Chicago, where she became a staple of the underground beat scene. With layered synths, drum patterns, vocal samples, keys, trumpet, bass, harp, and megiapa’s expressive voice, Intentions showcases an artist both focused and fluid in her vision, giving her expressions room to serpentine through a wide array of emotions and styles while crafting a cohesive whole. –CS

Pokey LaFarge - Rent Money (Boxer Boy)
The latest album from veteran Illinois-born, Maine-based singer, songwriter, and bandleader Pokey LaFarge (aka Andrew Heissler) is another charming set of his genre-melding folk music that’s rootsy, soulful, and joyful. Pokey continues to find crafty ways to infuse his songs with different flavors, bouncing around moments tinted by funk, country, blues, jazz, ragtime, reggae, tropicália, garage rock, gospel, boogie, and more, and it yields another inspired outing from an artist keeping the troubadour tag alive and well. –AR

Starcleaner Reunion - Umbrella (Take Care Records) 
The debut album from NY-via-NJ outfit Starcleaner Reunion is a dreamy set of shimmering indie pop. Guided by Jo Roman’s ethereal vocals, arrangements built from ambient guitars, delicate percussion, groovy bass lines, and flourishes of horns, strings, and woodwinds create an intricate yet airy soundscape, giving Umbrella a levitating effect.  –CS

Thee Sinseers - Love Stories (Colemine)  
The sophomore studio album from East LA-based ensemble Thee Sinseers, led by singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Joey Quiñones, is a delicious slice of vintage soul. Featuring sweet harmonies, tender lyricism, and classic song structures built around guitars, keys, dynamic percussion, and a stellar brass section, Love Stories, is a divine, transportive listen.  –CS

Tokyo Tea Room - Feel Forever (Nice Guys)
The second album from this Margate, UK-based band is another delightful swim through their lush, smooth, romantic dream-pop accented by vocalist Beth Dunn’s warm, honeyed vocals and the band’s laidback, luxurious, analog-rich grooves. –AR

Your Old Droog - Bread & Butter (Rem-U-Lak/Nature Sounds)
The 13th album from this prolific Ukraine-born, NYC-based rapper is a solid set of East Coast boom-bap hip-hop that pairs his clever, charismatic, comical bars over a steady dose of soulful yet grimy beats with notable co-production assists from Conductor Williams, ohbliv, and Flying Lotus. Georgia Anne Muldrow appears on the FlyLo-produced standout “I Don’t Care,” which injects Bread & Butter with a lively, shifty pulse. –AR