New Music Reviews (8/10)

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 Ceremony, Man/Woman/Chainsaw, abracadabra, and more. 

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Ceremony - Tell Me Your Dream (Relapse)  
Seminal punk outfit Ceremony return with their seventh studio album, their first in seven years. Arriving 21 years into their storied career, Tell Me Your Dream is urgent and melodic, an unflinching examination of the chaos of the modern world through a captivating post-punk lens. Vocalist Ross Farrar shares: “We’re living in an era of mass uncertainty. In punk, I don’t see how you can’t respond. It’s taken over our lives in so many different ways — economically, politically, spiritually. We want people to wake up and get into what’s happening.” With an atmospheric soundscape crafted with shimmering guitars, new wave keys, and driving drum patterns, this ten track collection is every bit as thought-provoking as it is propulsive. –CS

Man/Woman/Chainsaw - Cannonball (Fiction Records)  
London outfit Man/Woman/Chainsaw make one hell of an entrance with their astounding debut studio album.  Their
expansive set of maximalist art rock and chamber pop bursts with personality and immaculate musicianship, featuring dynamic arrangements with rich strings, jaunty keys, sinister guitar lines, and expressive alternating lead vocalists. Anchored by the album centerpiece “Nosedive,” Cannonball is a gripping, cinematic journey that captures the depth and grandeur of one of the UK’s most exciting new bands. –CS

abracadabra - peel away EP (Melodic)
The latest offering from this Oakland-based duo composed of Hannah Skelton and Chris Niles is an awesome set of groovy art-pop and quirky dance-punk that filters elements of post-punk, mutant disco, and No Wave through an angular, sophisticated, infectious prism. Loaded with slippery dub-inflected rhythms and accented by Hannah’s cool, droll vocals, abracadabra carry on the funky off-kilter spirit of 20th century legends like ESG, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, and Tom Tom Club on this skip-free 6-track EP. –CS

Beacon - How Drie a Cinder (Apparent Movement)
The fifth album from this Brooklyn duo composed of singer, songwriter, and producer Thomas Mullarney III and multi-instrumentalist/electronic producer Jacob Gossett continues to refine their atmospheric, hypnotic, and propulsive club-pop sound that pairs Mullarney’s airy falsetto and intimate delivery with Gossett’s sleek, skittering beats that touch upon UKG, house, tech-house, and post-dubstep styles. Written during a time of major personal upheaval and the dissolution of a long-term partnership for Mullarney that “forced not just change but metamorphosis,” Beacon’s latest statement in their 15-year career finds them sharpening their sonic identity and creating a consistently strong collection of emotional and vulnerable dancefloor cuts in the process. –AR

Cel Ray - Cel Rayzer (Exploding In Sound)
The debut album from Chicago-based outfit Cel Ray positively RIPS. Their ferocious punk boasts seething guitars, propulsive drums, intricate bass lines, and clever, angsty lyricism driven by Maddie Daviss’s fiery vocals. Across ten sharp tracks that clock in at just 22 minutes, Cel Rayzer introduces a thrilling new outfit that doesn’t mince words or miss a beat. –CS

Fred again.. & LATIN MAFIA - 9 months and 50 hours (Atlantic)
British producer Fred again.. teams up with Mexican trio LATIN MAFIA (composed of brothers Milton de la Rosa, Emilio de la Rosa, and Mike de la Rosa) for a worlds-colliding mixtape that fuses the latter’s inventive genre-blending alt-pop through the former’s expansive, widescreen, larger-than-life electronic vision. The release was uniquely created from scratch during a viral 50-hour live-streamed recording session in Mexico City and features guest contributions from the likes of Lil Yachty, Mabe Fratti, Jon Hopkins, and Brian Eno. –AR

Romi Wrights - Andy (Mānuka Recordings)
The debut album from this New Zealand singer-songwriter of of Tokelauan, Samoan, and African American descent is a strong set of classic soul, R&B, and funk carried by her stellar voice, honest lyrics tackling the trials and tribulations of love and relationships, and lavish arrangements supplied by close friends and extended family in both New Zealand and Ireland, including members of Clear Path Ensemble, Leao, and The Circling Sun. –AR

The Chutes - The Chutes (Dandy Boy)
The Chutes is a new project from San Francisco-based husband/wife duo Kenneth Turner and Erika Calderon, both known for their contributions to the Bay Area hardcore scene. Sonically far removed from their heavier bands, The Chutes’ debut release taps into their love of classic C86-indebted jangle-pop and it’s yet another sweet offering from Oakland-based indie label Dandy Boy Records. –AR

Constant Lovers - Troposphere (Den Tapes)
This veteran Seattle band led by Joel Cuplin returns with a gripping four-song EP of rambunctious garage rock and dynamic post-hardcore featuring urgent vocals, rumbling guitars, intense shape-shifting rhythms (courtesy of Ben Verellen of Helms Alee), and unexpected flourishes of saxophone and flute that add to Constant Lovers’ blistering controlled chaos. –AR

effe - Solder EP (Artist House)
The debut EP from this Naarm/Melbourne-based artist is a nice set of downtempo dream-pop and sultry trip-hop with an orchestral touch that harkens back to the rise of cinematic lounge-pop of the late 1990s and early 2000s. –AR

Fana Hues - Catch n' Release EP (Platoon)
The latest EP from this LA-based artist is a sharp set of colorful R&B with a vibrant, soulful, exploratory pop streak. It’s her first offering since her 2024 album Moth that closed out a trilogy of more introspective, simmering, and atmospheric albums, and with newfound inspiration in the “the wait, the pull, the release” of fishing, Catch n’ Release finds her in a more playful, curious, and outgoing sonic space. –AR

ggwendolyn - Superstar Syndrome (self-released)
The debut solo album from LA-born-and-raised singer-songwriter ggwendolyn is a powerful, passionate collection of indie pop rock. Arriving after several EPs under the moniker wens, Superstar Syndrome bursts with confidence and flair, showcasing her talents as both songwriter and lyricist. Through eleven infectious tracks that matter-of-factly explore identity, insecurities, and ambitions, ggwendolyn delivers a bold first full-full length that marks her as one to watch.  –CS

god of war - molly picture (Julia’s War)
god of war are a Philadelphia-based trio composed of They Are Gutting A Body of Water’s Douglas Dulgarian alongside the production duo Hooky (aka Scott Turner and Sam Silbert). Their second album is a cool set of experimental bedroom pop that fuses expressive guitars, blown-out synths, blurry vocals, and downcast melodies into a slippery, scrappy, vibe-heavy sound that “embodies the feeling of getting lost in a video game or skate video.” –AR

Joyce e Tutty Moreno & Adrian Younge - Joyce e Tutty Moreno JID027 (Jazz Is Dead)  
Legendary duo Joyce and Tutty Moreno collaborate with Adrian Younge for the latest Jazz Is Dead treasure. Across eight spellbinding tracks, they showcase the beautiful, revered Brazilian Popular Music that has defined their remarkable careers through rich arrangements and intoxicating rhythms. Born in the wake of losing their friend João Donato, this touching collection honors his memory with a euphony of keys, guitars, vibraphone, horns, harp, dynamic percussion, and, of course, Joyce’s commanding, emotive vocals. –CS

Kefaya & Elaha Soroor - Our Freedoms Must Be Won (Radio International)
Kefaya are a London-based music ensemble consisting of Italian guitarist Giuliano Modarelli, British keyboardist Al MacSween, British drummer Joost Hendrickx, and fronted by Afghan-Hazara singer Elaha Soroor. Their third album is a fascinating merging of avant-garde rock, propulsive psychedelic rock, and cinematic electronics carried by Elaha’s powerful voice and expressive lyrics sung in Farsi. The bold mixture of influences and styles yields a provocative album that “sits quite deliberately between sonic experimentation and political expression, engaging with themes around migration, identity, and resistance.” –AR

Margaret Glaspy - I Am Both (ATO)
Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Margaret Glaspy has THAT VOICE. You know, the one that stops you dead in your tracks and keeps you hanging on every word as she expresses profound emotion and bares her soul. On her fourth studio album, I Am Both, Glaspy moves through acoustic guitar-driven folk-rock songs accented by striking piano that range from deeply personal reflections to vivid storytelling, marking another lovely chapter in her remarkable songbook. –CS

Megasound - Megasound (Don Giovanni Records)
The debut album from Megasound, the new trio composed of Kerry Alexander and Chris Hoge of Bad Bad Hats and Elana Carroll of Party Nails, is a scrappy, catchy set of pop and grunge inflected indie rock. With tenderhearted, straightforward lyricism, memorable guitar riffs, and potent drums, this thrilling meeting of the minds proves these three were meant to make music together. –CS

Perfect Person & Holostar - Some Kind of Life EP (NSFW WORLD)
Perfect Person is the alias of Noah Williamson, a Vancouver, BC-based musician/producer who has worked with Fousheé, Jonah Yano, Sophia Stel, and Brent Faiyaz’s group Sonder. Holostar is a new alias of Gabriel Baer, a Portland, Maine-based musician/producer who made a big splash in the EDM/trap realm throughout the 2010s as CRNKN with massive remixes for ODESZA, Major Lazer, The Knocks, Diplo, GoldLink, and many more. Reminiscent of forward-looking artists like Jam City, Loukeman, Vegyn, Mk.gee, and Chanel Beads, their new collaborative EP is a sweet set of magnetic guitar-forward beats that utilize glistening vocal samples – including repurposing Fatboy Slim’s iconic use of “Right Here, Right Now” on EP highlight “Here & Now” – within their moody, cinematic, humanistic productions. –AR

Slow Fiction - dollhouse (Tight Knit)
The debut album from this NYC band fronted by Julia Vassallo is an impressive mixture of sweeping indie rock, explosive garage rock, and dynamic art-rock with both a youthful edge and a classic alternative sensibility. Closing out with a knockout statement in “turning down flowers,” dollhouse is a confident outing from an emerging young band who will be hitting the road and opening up for Swervedriver throughout the latter half of August. –AR

the Mountain Goats - Days (Cadmean Dawn Records/Thirty Tigers)  
North Carolina indie rock stalwarts the Mountain Goats return with their 24th (!!!) studio album. John Darnielle’s incomparable storytelling shines as ornate arrangements built from keys, horns, guitars, harp, and percussion add extra dimension to the already vivid lyricism. In a world of uncertainty, it’s reassuring to know that these fellas will always rise to the occasion, once again delivering a memorable collection worth getting lost in. –CS