New Music Reviews (7/14)

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 Barry Can’t Swim, Wet Leg, Africa Express, and more. 

Barry Can’t Swim - Loner (Ninja Tune)
The new album from London-based producer, songwriter, and DJ Barry Can’t Swim is an intoxicating set of warm and vivid electronica. Drawing on the music of his youth, he blends house, disco, club, jazz, and chill soundscapes with intricately layered beats, synths, strings, and samples to create the rapturous sonic tapestry that is Loner. –CS

Wet Leg - moisturizer (Domino)
The sophomore album from UK outfit Wet Leg rips on all fronts. With searing guitars, bouncy basslines, and a particularly acrobatic vocal performance from Rhain Teasdale, moisturizer carries a gritty intensity while still leaning into the catchy melodies, playful lyricism, and gripping hooks that enamored listeners from the start. They may have begun as a joke, but this no-skips collection showcases the band’s growth and depth, proving they’re serious about their craft and only just getting started. –CS

Africa Express - Africa Express Presents... Bahidorá (World Circuit)
Africa Express is a UK-based non-profit organization co-founded by Damon Albarn that facilitates cross-cultural collaborations between musicians in African, Middle Eastern, and Western countries. Recorded in Mexico and billed as their first collection “to focus on North American musical traditions,” their latest album is another supremely eclectic cross-cultural affair that jumps around hard-hitting Afrobeats, organic hip-hop, meditative folk, defiant global pop, torch song ballads, moody soul, experimental polyrhythmic electronics, and more. As with every Africa Express release, there’s a wildly stacked roster of talented international artists, with Bahidorá featuring contributions from Imarhan, Bonobo, Moonchild Sannelly, Nick Zinner (of Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Baba Sissoko, Joan As Police Woman, Jupiter & Okwess, K.O.G., Mexican Institute of Sound, Onipa, Django Django, Fatoumata Diawara, Damon Albarn, Luisa Almaguer, and many others. –AR

Clipse - Let God Sort Em Out (Roc Nation)
Nearly sixteen years since their last Clipse album, the legendary Virginia duo composed of rappers Malice and Pusha T return in full force with their fourth studio album. Entirely produced by their longtime friend, collaborator, and mentor Pharrell Williams, Let God Sort Em Out finds Clipse focused and locked-in, their clever, menacing, commanding lyrical talents staying sharp over Pharrell’s slick, polished, captivating beats. It doesn’t quite capture the insanely high bar of their 2006 masterclass Hell Hath No Fury, and the absence of The Neptunes’ Chad Hugo is palpably felt across these blockbuster productions, yet Clipse’s wordplay and presence remain undeniable throughout their long-awaited return that serves up a handful of top-shelf highlights. –AR

Dom Salvador, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Dom Salvador JID024 (Jazz Is Dead)
Dom Salvador, Adrian Younge, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad conjure a special kind of alchemy on the latest Jazz Is Dead project. With a hypnotic blend of jazz, samba, funk, and soul, their unmatched musicianship shines a light on this living legend and the lasting impression he has made upon the global music scene. –CS

Gwenno - Utopia (Heavenly Recordings)
The fourth solo album from Cardiff-based singer-songwriter Gwenno Saunders, simply known as Gwenno, is a breathtaking set of ornate indie pop. Marking her first release sung primarily in English, the lush, keyboard-driven arrangements elevate her enchanting, ethereal vocals as she reflects on the past 25 years of her life and the many identities she has inhabited along the way. –CS

Kokoroko - Tuff Times Never Last (Brownswood Recordings)
On their second studio album, London-based collective Kokoroko serves up a delicious fusion of jazz, soul, R&B, funk, bossa nova, lovers rock, and Afrobeat. Boasting sultry grooves and intoxicating polyrhythms crafted from dynamic horns, guitars, synths, and percussion, this tight eight-piece explores themes of community and perseverance, offering a timely reminder that Tuff Times Never Last. –CS

Raissa - DESIRE PATH EP (Neon Gold/Futures/Virgin)
LA-based Raissa returns with another stunner of an EP. Sung in both English and Spanish, DESIRE PATH features magnetic pop soundscapes that shift from bright to menacing, highlighting her impressive vocal range, inventive arrangements, and distinctive vision. –CS

Autocamper - What Do You Do All Day? (Slumberland)
The debut album from Manchester quartet Autocamper is a delightful set of inviting jangle pop. With Jack Harkins and Niamh Purtill trading lead vocals, the band’s bittersweet melodies–propelled by sharp percussion, distinct keys, and memorable guitar lines–culminate in a warm and compelling listen. –CS

Boxxer - Veil EP (self-released)
The debut EP from this NYC outfit is a solid set of moody post-punk. With Max Lavinsky’s theatrical vocals and melodic, layered guitars at the forefront, these dark, entrancing soundscapes make a memorable first impression and mark Boxxer as a band to watch. –CS

Jools - Violent Delights (Hassel Records)
The aptly titled debut album from UK collective Jools is a fierce set of theatrical punk, offering a bold introduction to their distinct sound. With Kate Price and Mitch Gordon sharing lead vocal duties, the band’s razor-sharp lyricism, bombastic arrangements, and gripping hooks command attention throughout Violent Delights. –CS

Khatumu - free therapy EP (Bright Antenna)
The new EP from LA-based, half-German, half-Sierra Leonean singer-songwriter Khatumu is a vibrant blend of folk, bedroom pop, and indie rock. With her smooth, sweet vocals, intimate storytelling, and infectious phrasing, free therapy puts listeners on the couch right next to her, hanging on every word.  –CS

Leroi Conroy - A Tiger’s Tale (Colemine)
Leroi Conroy is the solo alias of Cincinnati-based multi-instrumentalist, producer, engineer, designer, and Colemine Records owner Terry Cole. Eight years in the making, his debut album is steeped in the nostalgic, dusty, cinematic soul/funk aesthetic that he’s brought to life throughout Colemine’s stellar catalog, delivering nine tasty analog-rich instrumental grooves. –AR

Mal Blum - The Villain (Get Better Records)
The latest from LA-based singer-songwriter Mal Blum, their first album in six years, is an emotive, shape-shifting blend of indie rock, folk punk, and bedroom pop. With enticing peaks and valleys, The Villain highlights Blum’s expressive vocals, clever lyricism, and keen instinct for crafting a killer hook. –CS

Maxo - MARS IS ELECTRIC (SMILEFORME)
The latest full-length album from Los Angeles rapper is a nice set of warm, woozy, vaporous hip-hop that continues to showcase his loose, calm, introspective mic presence over an eclectic range of beats that roam between cerebral boom-bap to kinetic club-tinted grooves. –AR

Mike Polizze - Around Sound (Paradise of Bachelors)
The second solo album from Philadelphia-based musician Mike Polizze – also frontman of Purling Hiss and guitarist in Birds of Maya – is a strong set of evocative, reflective, homespun folk-rock led by his precise fingerpicking talents on the acoustic guitar and knack for earworm melodies. While Mike played every part and instrument, Around Sound finds him teaming up once again with Philadelphia luminary Jeff Zeigler (The War on Drugs, Kurt Vile, Mary Lattimore) who co-produced, engineered, and mixed the album.  –AR

Nomi Ruiz & Eli Escobar - Love Louder (Razor-N-Tape)
Nearly fifteen years since their sweet debut collaborative single “Desire”, Puerto Rican New York natives Nomi Ruiz and Eli Escobar deliver their first full-length album and it’s a strong collection of emotive house, groovy disco, slippery R&B, and slinky freestyle jams. Best known as the leader of Jessica 6, a nu-disco trio that formed after its members helped put together Hercules and Love Affair’s live show, Latinx trans artist Nomi Ruiz shines bright within the flamboyant, defiant, jubilant pulse of Love Louder, her magnetic voice finding an ideal partner with Eli’s crisp, classic, timeless rhythms and analog synth workouts. –AR

Sampology - Ripen, Vol. 1 (Middle Name)
The latest EP from Brisbane-based DJ/producer Sam Poggioli (aka Sampology) is another solid set of lush electronic grooves that flow between sunshine-kissed house rhythms and orchestral downtempo soul with a consistently warm, organic, lush touch. “Created as a healing, human-centred listening experience for dancefloors, nature walks, and home listening alike,” there’s an expansive natural beauty to this EP, buoyed by a pair of early vocal-laced highlights in the uplifting opener “Morning Sun” – featuring a choral trio composed of Tiana Khasi, Hannah Macklin and Kalila – and its blissful follow-up “Ripened,” accented by South Sudanese poet NMMWL. –AR

sunking - I DON'T LIKE MY TELEPHONE (ANTI-)
The latest offering from Seattle-bred, LA-based outfit sunking is a wild, kaleidoscopic trip. With guest vocalists Takoda, Niki Randa, Salami Rose Joe Louis, Teleporter, and Deradoorian in the mix, the trio blends jazz, hip-hop, jungle, and trip-hop into innovative, lively arrangements that deliver mesmerizing results.  –CS

The Cure - Mixes of a Lost World (Lost Music Limited/Polydor)
The Cure continue to flex their landmark relevance with this epic 24-track remix collection of their excellent late 2024 album Songs of a Lost World. Featuring three different remixes for all eight original album tracks over a blockbuster 147-minute runtime, Mixes of a Lost World is a testament to the timelessness of the band’s tones and textures, as well as the singular voice of Robert Smith, with electronic heavyweights and budding newcomers alike adding their own unique flavor and dancefloor vision to The Cure’s widescreen foundation. –AR

They Say Stories - Daydreams Will Do (self-released)
They Say Stories are a Canadian First Nation band from Treaty 7 territory in Calgary, Alberta led by frontman Sylvan Breaker who is Blackfoot and Cree and joined by Dalton Dodginghorse (Tsuut'ina and Blackfoot) on drums with vocalist Christa Clifford appearing on a pair of tracks. Their debut album is a solid set of rugged, muscular, scrappy indie rock that often harkens back to '90s staples like Dinosaur Jr., Guided By Voices, and Pavement, while also recalling contemporaries like Ribbon Skirt, Car Seat Headrest, and Wolf Parade. –AR

Tropical Fuck Storm - Fairyland Codex (Fire)
The fourth album from this Melbourne band is a sprawling survey of adventurous avant-rock that spans theatrical art-punk, sinister noise rock, and off-kilter psych-blues with an unpredictable intensity. Vocal duties are shared by founding members and domestic partners Gareth Liddiard and Fiona Kitschin (each formerly of beloved Australian band The Drones) alongside guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist Erica Dunn, giving their sound – “weird music for people who are sick of the same old shit” – a consistently morphing energy that’s accompanied by a thrilling live show that has attracted a passionate fanbase. –AR