New Music Reviews (8/17)

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 Phoebe Bridgers, Dana & Alden, Getdown Services, and more. 

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Phoebe Bridgers - Lost Weekend (Dead Oceans)
And for her next masterclass in melancholy, LA-based singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers unveils her third studio album. Bridgers has a way of creating whole new worlds, orbits, universes with her songcraft, an uncanny ability she brilliantly employs on Lost Weekend, her first solo album in over six years. With her signature delicate vocals guiding the way, it’s the pristine sound design that really shines. Bold, ornate arrangements featuring guitars, keys, brass, strings, pedal steel, voicemail samples, field recordings, and more create a rich sonic tapestry that, paired with her poetic, emotive lyricism, envelops listeners from the first note to the last. Nothing about this album is traditional, but it is 100% Phoebe Bridgers (with the help of a couple dozen of her friends), as she showcases her singular vision and ever-evolving artistry. –CS

Dana & Alden - Papa’s Boat (Concord Jazz)
The fourth studio album from this Eugene, Oregon musical duo composed of brothers Dana and Alden McWayne further revels in their distinctively expansive, soulful, wide-eyed jazz vision that’s infused with a worldly psychedelic pop spirit. An homage to their late grandfather and his adventurous lust for life, Papa’s Boat was recorded across London, New York, and Brazil and this globetrotting energy seeps into the album’s exploratory sound and its communal bent, welcoming in contributions from both lifelong heroes (Marcos Valle) as well as close contemporary friends (Mei Semones, Melanie Charles) while receiving guidance along the way from heavyweights and fellow jazz visionaries Yussef Dayes, Gilles Peterson and Marcos Valle. –AR

Getdown Services - Massive Champion (Breakfast Records)
The sophomore album from Bristol-based art-pop duo Getdown Services is an exhilarating wild ride. While this collection could have just been album standout “The Radiator” on repeat thirteen times to critical acclaim, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, showcasing an inventive band who wears its quirks proudly on its sleeve. Featuring bold, avant-garde arrangements and a serious knack for a killer hook, Massive Champion blends post-punk, disco, art-rock, and power-pop to thrilling effect. Only Getdown Services could make an album “about self pity and realizing that maybe all of the healing your inner child stuff you hear about isn’t actually total bollocks” sound this irresistibly fun. –CS 

Grace Cummings - Bloodhorse! (ATO) 
The fourth studio album from formidable Australian singer-songwriter Grace Cummings is another astounding set of orchestral rock glory. With her intense vocal acrobatics taking center stage, ornate, theatrical arrangements with gut-wrenching peaks and valleys make it impossible not to let these songs take hold of you. Dark, raw, and all consuming, Bloodhorse! finds Cummings trying to “express the things I can't say. A confession, an act of courage. For no one else but me. And it’s me deciding to represent, not necessarily the way life is, but the way it feels,” as she lays herself bare, leaving listeners with mouths agape and begging for more. –CS

Hovvdy - Big World (Arts & Crafts)
The sixth studio album from beloved Austin, TX outfit Hovvdy is a perfect snapshot of what makes this duo so damn good. Their endearing blend of folk rock, bedroom pop, and slowcore boasts earnest songwriting, memorable guitar riffs, moody keys, and sweet vocals with tender harmonies. Following their self-titled double album from 2024, Big World is a more focused effort, with twelve tracks clocking in at just 36 minutes, their restraint resulting in an immediate, effortlessly digestible dose of Hovvdy goodness. –CS

Jungle - Sunshine (Caiola Records)
London-based songwriting and production outfit Jungle, now expanded to a trio with Lydia Kitto joining Josh Lloyd-Watson and Thom McFarland, return with their fifth studio album. Their intoxicating blend of cinematic soul, funktronica, nu-disco, and alt-pop showcases breezy grooves, smooth, mesmerizing vocals, and a sole guest appearance from French-American rapper Bas. While not reinventing the Jungle wheel they so expertly crafted over a decade ago, the aptly titled Sunshine is a bright and warm celebration of what they do best. –CS

Kiwi Jr. - Blowin’ Up (perennial/K)
The fourth full-length album from Toronto outfit Kiwi Jr. is a buoyant set of indie rock and jangle pop. Following recent releases on Sub Pop Records, the four-piece remain tethered to the PNW, now finding a label home at perennial/K. Their new ten-track collection, Blowin’ Up, features delicious guitar licks, expressive vocals, and infectious earworms as they explore “the desperate neon of statesman status.”  –CS

Overmono - Pure Devotion (XL Recordings) 
The sophomore album from Welsh duo Overmono, composed of brothers Tom and Ed Russell, is an electrifying set of deeply textured breakbeat, UK garage, and techno. With densely layered synths, samples, syncopated basslines, and innovative production, these emotive electronic gems are elevated by standout vocal performances from John Joseph Holt, Kindora, Jaz Karis, Mahalia, Paul Institute’s Ruthven, and Rock Floyd. Across 11 alluring tracks, Pure Devotion unfolds like a tangled web in full technicolour, boasting intoxicating grooves equally suited to the dancefloor, the headphones, and everything in between. –CS

Ravyn Lenae - Blue Island (Atlantic) 
The third studio album from Chicago-born, LA-based singer-songwriter Ravyn Lenae is a sophisticated blend of alt-R&B and indie pop, awash in ‘90s nostalgia. Highlighting her pristine, airy vocals, Blue Island features intoxicating hooks, dynamic arrangements, silky production, and guest appearances from Doechii and Dominic Fike. Across fourteen captivating tracks, Lenae further establishes herself as one of contemporary R&B’s most compelling voices and songwriters. –CS

Sailor Honeymoon - The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon (Good Good)
The debut album from this Seoul-based trio is a consistently ripping set of garage punk rock with a badass Riot grrrl energy. Punchy, witty, and bursting with a playfully fierce verve, The Worst of Sailor Honeymoon is a breakout introduction to a young emerging band operating outside of their home country’s dominant K-pop universe who proudly “represent a very different side of contemporary Korean culture - one rooted in community, experimentation and independence.” –AR

Strange Lot - Strange Lot (Greenway)
The fourth album from this Austin, Texas-based project led by Dominic Mena marks their first since evolving from a solo project into a full-fledged four-piece band and this new formation unleashes a brilliant set of enveloping psychedelic rock with a shoegazey tint that’s their finest statement yet. With crucial guidance along the way from The Black Angels’ Alex Maas who produced the album, Strange Lot bring a fresh angle to a classic psychedelic sound propelled by their collective driving rhythms, fuzzy guitars, kaleidoscopic vocals, trippy synths, hazy atmospherics, and loads of distortion. –AR

The Womack Sisters - The Womack Sisters (Daptone)
It’s more than just their DNA. The Womack Sisters (Kucha, Zeimani, and BG) are soul music royalty as the granddaughters of Sam Cooke, nieces of Bobby Womack, and daughters of Womack & Womack (aka Zekkariyas & Zeriiya), but their powerful vocals and jaw-dropping harmonies deserve recognition all their own. On their sensational self-titled debut, produced by Gabriel Roth, the LA-based trio deliver a groove forward set of retro soul that transcends time and space, honoring their deep musical roots while forging a path uniquely theirs. Across eleven spellbinding tracks, the next generation of the Womack legacy steps fully into the spotlight. –CS

Kelly Finnigan - B‐Sides, Singles & Forgotten Gems (Colemine)
The latest offering from veteran San Francisco-based musician and Monophonics frontman Kelly Finnigan is a wonderful collection of top-notch soul songs featuring rare takes, lesser known B-sides, longtime vinyl-only cuts, and an unreleased track that also celebrates the 15-year partnership between Kelly and the excellent Ohio-based soul label Colemine Records. Kicking off with the 2011 instrumental B-side cut “Freedom” originally by Kelly’s mid-2000s/early-2010s outfit Destruments and closing out with a new gem featuring Jimmy James of Parlor Greens, this 10-track album may feature songs culled from the past 15 years, yet it plays out like yet another stellar, timeless, and cohesive R&B/soul album from the Bay Area luminary and his trusty longtime label. –AR

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Alien Metal (p(doom))
For their 28th album, the prolific Melbourne-based cult faves unleash a full-blown techno/rave party beamed through their outer-galactic psychedelic lens. Buckle up for punishing 140+ BPM rhythms, robotic vocals, and an uncompromising assault of the senses. –AR

L’Rain - fata morgana (Mexican Summer)
The fourth studio album from Brooklyn-based singer, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and sonic shapeshifter Taja Cheek, aka L’Rain, is a sensation. Through a prismatic lens, her adventurous blend of avant-pop, ambient, and noise seeks to answer the question: “How do you grow in a world not meant for you to thrive in?” With ethereal, operatic vocals, experimental arrangements, and jarring twists and turns, L’Rain invites listeners to sit in discomfort as they try to find their own answers. A challenging, rewarding, and immersive listen, fata morgana is a magnetic record not for the faint of heart.  –CS

Laura Veirs - Temple Songs (Raven Marching Band) 
The 14th solo album from this veteran Portland-based artist is another wonderful set of intimate, intricate, nuanced folk-pop with a deeply human touch. Outside of a contribution from a secret special guest on saxophone on standout single “Pulse,” Laura wrote, recorded, arranged, produced, sang, and played all of the instruments (guitars, bass, drums, tambourine, percussion) on the album, marking the first time she’s handled (nearly) everything on her own, and it lends Temple Songs a homespun, organic, acoustic warmth. –AR

Open Mike Eagle x Kenny Segal - DOOMED! (Backwoodz Studioz)
Innovative emcee Open Mike Eagle links up with production mastermind Kenny Segal for their first proper collaborative album. As friends working together off and on for decades, they put their captivating rapport on display across fifteen dynamic tracks. Live instrumentation featuring horns, flute, keys, and guitar mingles with Segal’s inventive beatwork and Eagle’s stream-of-consciousness flows, crafting a jazzy backdrop for this breakup concept album. DOOMED! is a brilliant convergence of two singular forces in the alternative hip-hop landscape. –CS

Pearly Drops - The Voices Became Louder (Music Website)
This new mini-album from Finnish duo Pearly Drops (Sandra Tervonen and Juuso Malin) is a sweet level-up from their 2025 album The Voices Are Coming Back as it taps into an addictive, glittery, futuristic synth-pop sound informed by hyperpop, Y2K-steeped alt-pop, dream-pop, and Electroclash (see “Behind A Tree”). With guest appearances from Night Tapes, Namasenda, RIP Swirl, ultra caro, 8485, ELOI, DJ_Dave, BODUR, and Paul Maxwell, The Voices Became Louder offers a potential breakout moment for this Helsinki-based act who will soon be heading out on a massive tour opening up for 2026’s ascendent pop star Slayyyter. –AR

Q - DO YOU SEE ME? (Columbia)
The sophomore full-length album from South Florida-born singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Q Marsden (aka Q) continues to spotlight his vibrant, colorful, chameleonic brand of R&B that’s injected with elements of alt-pop, soul, jazz, and funk. Written during a transformative period where he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, DO YOU SEE ME? presents a shift in his songwriting that “embraces competing thoughts and emotions as building blocks,” yielding songs that shift and weave and carry a more experimental edge to his sound while still showcasing his magnetic voice, sleek productions, and cool twist on a classic R&B/pop template. –AR

RAGEFLOWER - TWINSTAR EP (self-released)
The second EP from Sydney-based singer-songwriter RAGEFLOWER, aka Madeleine Powers, is a gripping set of indie rock and dream pop. Featuring big, sweeping choruses and vulnerable lyricism delivered with powerful vocals, TWINSTAR walks the line between rugged and polished as Powers embraces her flaws. She shares: “I struggled with moral perfectionism for a long time… But I always found within me a nagging contradiction. Acceptance of our capacity for evil makes it easier to admit when we are wrong, to make amends, and to accept that we are not defined by our mistakes. My TWINSTAR is the darkness within me that I’ve come to accept.” –CS

Real Numbers - Was It Always This Way (Slumberland)
This Minneapolis band led by primary songwriter Eli Hansen returns with their first new full-length album in nearly 10 years and it’s a consistently solid set of nostalgic C86-inspired indie-pop full of jangly guitars, lively tempos, buoyant melodies, and a classic melancholic tone. –AR

Rowena Wise - Bad Things Feel Good* (22TWENTY) 
The sophomore album from Naarm/Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Rowena Wise is a breathtaking set of contemporary indie folk. Led by her tender lyricism and expressive vocals, Wise effortlessly flows from delicate ballads to gritty rockers, capturing the rawness of these ruminations on yearning, love, identity, and growth with powerful restraint. ‘Bad Things Feel Good*’ is a bold, understated collection that quietly explores the complexities of the human condition, resonating deeper and deeper with each listen. –CS

ZAINAB - Canal View EP (Technicolour)
The debut EP from this Lahore, Pakistan-born, New York-raised, Brooklyn-based DJ and electronic producer is a rad set of hard-hitting club rhythms injected with vibrant global flourishes that tap into her South Asian and Arabic roots. Standout early single “Her Eyes” brilliantly flips Libyan-Egyptian singer-songwriter Hamid Al Shaeri’s jubilant 1980s gem “Ayewah!” into an addictive dancefloor anthem, and it’s surrounded by body-moving tracks carried by a relentlessly propulsive cultures-colliding energy. –AR