New Music Reviews (01/18)

Each week, Music Director Don Yates shares 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 Earl Sweatshirt, FKA twigs, Bonobo, and more.

Earl Sweatshirt – SICK! (Tan Cressida)
The fourth regular studio album from this California rapper (aka Thebe Kgositsile) is an impressive set of imaginative hip hop combining a variety of moody, hypnotic beats with his flexible flow and sharply detailed rhymes revolving around pandemic life, fatherhood and resilience.

FKA twigs – CAPRISONGS (Young Recordings/Atlantic)
This British artist’s latest release is a diverse 17-song mixtape offering a bright, playful blend of R&B with modern pop, hip hop, dancehall, Afrobeats, drum ‘n’ bass and other styles. Easily her most pop-oriented recording, it’s also still full of the kind of imaginative sonic touches that have always distinguished her work. The album was executive produced by FKA twigs and El Guincho, and it also features an impressive guest lineup including The Weeknd, Arca, Shygirl, Jorja Smith, Pa Salieu, Daniel Caesar, Rema, Tobias Jesso Jr. and other notables.

Bonobo – Fragments (Ninja Tune)
The seventh album from this LA-based British producer (aka Simon Green) is a potent set of warm, transportive, mostly downtempo grooves combining a variety of acoustic instrumentation including lush strings arranged by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson along with harp, organ, sax and more with shimmering synths and a variety of rhythms. Special guests include Jamila Woods, Jordan Rakei and Kadhja Bonet.

Gabriels – Bloodline EP (Atlas Artists)
This LA-based trio’s second EP is a potent blend of orchestral soul and noirish torch-pop with a spare, haunting sound combining piano, moody strings and brass and some subtle electronic textures with Jacob Lusk’s soulful vocals.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters – The Boy Named If (EMI/Universal)
The British rock veteran continues his latter-day hot streak with another excellent album. Recorded with backing band The Imposters (basically the Attractions with a different bassist), the album hearkens back to the spiky, seething rock of classic early Costello albums like This Year’s Model while still making room for some gorgeous ballads.

Cat Power – Covers (Domino)
The latest release from Chan Marshall (aka Cat Power) is the third album of covers she’s released. As with most of the other covers she’s recorded through the years, the ones here are mostly radically different from the originals, combining often-spare arrangements with her spellbinding vocals on covers ranging from Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey and Billie Holiday to Iggy Pop, Bob Seger and The Replacements.

Broken Social Scene – Old Dead Young: B-Sides & Rarities (Arts & Crafts)
The latest release from this Toronto band is a diverse, career-spanning collection of b-sides and other rarities ranging from hypnotic motorik rock and wistful dream-pop to quirky pop-rock and downcast folk-pop.

Fazer – Plex (City Slang)
This Munich-based band’s third album is an expansive blend of jazz with elements of Afrobeat, motorik German prog, post-rock and other styles, combining soaring trumpet and gently ringing guitar with a variety of organic rhythms featuring bass and double drums.

Grace Cummings – Storm Queen (ATO)
This Australian artist’s second album is a well-crafted set of moody folk-pop combining an often-spare sound with her impassioned vocals.

Tierra Whack – Rap? EP (Interscope)
The first of three EPs released one week after another in December by this Philadelphia rapper is a solid three-song set of hip hop ranging from playful boasts to rhymes of healing and self-love.

Tierra Whack – Pop? EP (Interscope)
The second of three EPs released in December by this Philadelphia rapper is a diverse three-song set ranging from propulsive synth-pop and bright pop-rock to atmospheric folk-rock.

Tierra Whack – R&B? EP (Interscope)
The last of three EPs released in December by this Philadelphia rapper is an expansive three-song set of atmospheric R&B combining her elastic vocals with hypnotic song hooks.