New Music Reviews (6/16)

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 Annahstasia, Leikeli47, Saba & No ID, and more. 

Annahstasia - Tether (drink sum wtr)
The highly anticipated debut album from LA-based Nigerian-American singer, songwriter, and visual artist Annahstasia is truly something to behold. Her beautifully rich, haunting vocals take center stage as she delivers poetic, gripping, and emotionally charged lyrics. The vivid arrangements are thoughtfully nuanced, ranging from minimal finger-picked acoustic guitar to lush, cinematic soundscapes featuring synths, horns, drums, and additional vocalists, including guest appearances by Obongjayar and aja monet. These layers and artful variations reveal remarkable power in subtlety. Tether is nothing short of a triumph, showcasing a unique blend of folk and soul that culminates in a singular sound, led by one of the most dynamic voices in contemporary music. –CS

Leikeli47 - Lei Keli ft. 47 / For Promotional Use Only (Acrylic/Hardcover/Thirty Tigers)
Following her beauty trilogy, which concluded with 2022’s Shape Up, Leikeli47 returns with her first independently released album. She is fully unmasked, both literally and lyrically, revealing a raw and vulnerable side paired with bold, defiantly irreverent energy. With infectious melodies, her distinctive vocal prowess, and a masterful blend of hip-hop, house, and R&B, Lei keli ft 47 / For Promotional Use Only finds Leikeli47 fully in her power as she declares, “I’m only one type of fearless / The one you cannot control.” –CS

Saba & No ID - From the Private Collection of Saba & No ID (self-released)
Chicago rapper Saba teams up with legendary Chicago hip-hop producer No ID and together they deliver a standout hip-hop record of the year as Saba’s magnetic flow and sharp lyricism finds an ideal match in No ID’s top-shelf, smart, soulful boom-bap beats. Their one-two combo adds another entry in Saba’s no-misses catalog and brings to mind early highpoints from fellow Chicagoans Common, Kanye West, and Chance the Rapper, all artists who have worked with No ID over his illustrious career. Raphael Saadiq, Madison McFerrin, Ibeyi, BJ the Chicago Kid, Smino, and many more make guest appearances. –AR

WITCH - SOGOLO (Desert Daze Sound)
Legendary Zamrock outfit WITCH return with another knockout. Led by original member and frontman Emmanuel ‘Jagari’ Chanda, SOGOLO finds the band traversing genres and generations, weaving elements of psych, funk, disco, Zambian folk, and garage into a sound that nods to the ‘70s and ‘80s, as much as it embraces the present. Intoxicating rhythms, fuzzy guitars, lively percussion, mesmerizing synths, and captivating hooks drive an album that honors their roots while pushing forward with innovative, experimental curiosity. Jagari shares: “SOGOLO means front or future. It is the future of a team with hope, peace, love; we’re wearing smiles, we march and dance to criss-cross rhythms. Let’s go friends … SOGOLO in unity.” –CS

Brittany Davis - Black Thunder (Loosegroove)
The second album from Seattle-based artist Brittany Davis is a stunning journey through expressive, improvisatory, spiritual jazz. Backed by longtime Seattle jazz luminaries D’Vonne Lewis on drums and Evan Flory-Barnes on bass, Brittany once again showcases their singular storytelling talent, deft instrumental talents (here specifically on keys), and unique voice as a blind, non-binary, Black musician through a series of powerful songs interstitched by ancestral spirituals that add a profound, beautiful, emotional depth to the full album experience. Much like the album's exploratory, nuanced, and daring arrangements, Brittany’s voice serves as a dynamic vessel for potent, poignant, poetic lyrics as it dances between melodic singing, spoken word, beat poetry, and rapping in astounding fashion. A distinct shift from their funk-heavy breakout debut album ‘Images Issues,’ Black Thunder packs an equally impressive artistic punch and adds a paramount recorded chapter into Seattle’s deep, illustrious jazz history. –AR

Buscabulla - Se Amaba Así (Domino)
The sophomore album from Puerto Rican husband-and-wife duo Buscabulla has been well worth the wait. Se Amaba Así showcases their mesmerizing fusion of synth-pop, electro-Caribbean, psych-rock, dreamy R&B, and a wide range of Latin music styles, including merengue and reggaeton, resulting in an ornate, transportive soundscape. Raquel Berrios takes lead vocals on most of the album, as the duo explores the complexities of romantic relationships in the modern world. –CS

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Phantom Island (p(doom))
With the help of a 24-piece orchestra, and just ahead of their upcoming North American tour in July 2025 that will feature a different accompanying 29-piece orchestra in each city, the wildly prolific and passionately adored Melbourne-based band unveil their 27th album and it’s another wild journey through their fantastical, bombastic, all-embracing psych/prog/rock/pop world with an increased orchestral flair. –AR

Small Paul - I Was Love, I Was Light (self-released)
The sophomore album from Seattle supergroup Small Paul is an endearing collection of rockin’ alt-country gems. Rooted in classic song structures with sweet, soulful harmonies, rich guitar tones, and dynamic keys, the vibrant soundscapes of I Was Love, I Was Light elevate the band’s emotive storytelling. –CS

Subsonic Eye - Singapore Dreaming (Topshelf)
The fifth studio album from this Singaporean quintet is a rich, vibrant set of noise-inflected dreamgaze. With spellbinding hooks, exceptional guitar work, alluring walls of sound, and a keen pop sensibility, Singapore Dreaming finds Subsonic Eye in their prime, drawing listeners deeper into their intoxicating soundscape with each track. –CS

The Bug Club - Very Human Features (Sub Pop)
The fourth full-length from Welsh outfit The Bug Club is a quick follow-up to 2024’s On the Intricate Inner Workings of the System. These prolific garage punks deliver lively, clever anthems with infectious hooks, showcasing their expertise without taking themselves too seriously (they “don’t give a damn,” after all). With killer guitar riffs, lo-fi production, and spirited vocals, Very Human Features is effortlessly cool and completely captivating. –CS

Theo Croker - Dream Manifest (Dom Recs)
The eighth studio album from trumpeter, composer, and producer Theo Croker is an immersive, innovative blend of jazz, R&B, soul, hip-hop, house, and funk. Aptly titled, Dream Manifest leads audiences into a trancelike state, as its nine tracks showcase hypnotic grooves, intricate arrangements, and exceptional collaborations, including features from Estelle, Kassa Overall, Tyreek McDole, MAAD, Malaya, D’LEAU, and more. Album standouts “High Vibrations” and “We Still Wanna Dance” burst with positive energy, inviting listeners to hit the dance floor while soaking in every delicious note of Croker’s jazz fusion. –CS

Activity - A Thousand Years In Another Way (Western Vinyl)
A tense, gripping pulse runs through the brooding third album from Brooklyn-based four-piece Activity as they roam a dark, edgy, and dynamic experimental rock terrain. Band members Travis Johnson, Bri DiGioia, and Jess Rees all share vocal and writing duties throughout the record, lending a bit of an anxious unpredictability to these haunting yet still somewhat tender songs that reflect the “surreal, dreamlike (or nightmarish) rhythm of daily life.” –AR

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Soft New Magic Dream (Rad Cult)
The seventh album from this Pittsburgh outfit led by Thomas Fec (aka Tobacco) offers a softer, gentler hue than their previous album (2018’s Panic Blooms) and dives firmly into the type of woozy, beatific, kaleidoscopic, vocoder-laced, synth-heavy psych-pop that has defined their thick, dreamy, singular sound over the past two decades. –AR

Jahnah Camille - My sunny oath! EP (Winspear)
The new EP from Birmingham, Alabama-based singer-songwriter Jahnah Camille is a stellar set of melancholic, guitar-driven dream pop. Bringing in elements of grunge, shoegaze, and indie rock, My sunny oath! offers compelling peaks and valleys, resulting in a memorable collection from this rising talent. –CS

King Isis - SIRENITY EP (Dirty Hit/No Matter)
The new EP from Oakland’s King Isis is a ferocious display of their inventive fusion of punk, R&B, and pop, as they (hopefully) inch closer to a full-length album. With impressive vocal acrobatics and catchy hooks, SIRENITY veers from a hush to a howl in an instant, gripping listeners across all five tracks.  –CS

Lucy Gooch - Desert Window (Fire)
The debut full-length album from York, UK-based vocalist, composer and electronic producer Lucy Gooch is a sublime set of celestial art-pop that soars through an ethereal hybrid of ambient, classical, folk, avantgarde, and choral influences. Slow-burning, cinematic, and painterly, Desert Window is a magical, sophisticated lullaby of an album led by Lucy’s stunning voice and her whimsical electro-acoustic arrangements. –AR

Pixel Grip - Percepticide: The Death of Reality (self-released)
The third album from this Chicago trio is a strong set of goth-tinted darkwave and throbbing, turbulent synth-pop. Over the group’s icy, pulsating, nocturnal beats, Rita Lukea shines bright with commanding vocals, charismatic energy, and incisive lyrics that explore themes of betrayal, addiction, emotional fracture, and disconnection. –AR

seiji oda - HUMAN + NATURE (uknowme!)
The second full-length album from this Oakland-based Japanese-American rapper/singer/producer is an awesome set of his exquisite, expansive “lofi-hyphy” sound that confidently blends lush beats, dreamy earworm melodies, addictive hooks, and clever quotable lyrics with a low-key charismatic swagger. Along the album’s aqueous, free-flowing journey, seiji sneaks in atmospheric ambient pieces, '90s-influenced R&B ballads, bossa nova-meets-baile bops, and ethereal dream-pop moments and brings along a bunch of his Bay Area friends to create a rewind-worthy “calm but geeked” experience.  –AR

Sorry Girls - Dreamwalker (Arbutus)
The third album from this Montreal duo (Heather Foster Kirkpatrick and Dylan Konrad Obront) is another solid set of buoyant dream-pop, breezy guitar-pop, lush synth-pop and cinematic folk-pop distinguished by Heather's gorgeous melancholic vocals and the duo's nostalgic '70s+'80s-soaked backdrops. –AR

The Mighty Mocambos - A Higher Frequency (Mocambo)
The latest album from this veteran Hamburg, Germany 9-piece collective with direct links to Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is a colorful journey through instrumental-heavy grooves (sans steel drums) that dips through funk, soul, jazz, disco, lounge, global, and psych flavors. Vocalist/percussionist Nichola Richards shines on “Back and Better” and NYC’s Carlton Jumel Smith guests on “Can’t Stop This Fire” for another vocal-laced highlight. –AR