Let's extend a warm welcome to Megan "The Music Buff" Buffington, making her debut on Fresh Picks.
The KAXE staff is full of music fans and you'll find them contributing their reviews from time to time.
Read on for three very different takes on soul music from The James Hunter Six, Samm Henshaw and Thee Marloes, the unique story of Mon Rovîa, Courtney Marie Andrews stretching her wings, what "Grassoline" is, the latest from icon Kim Gordon, and The Brook & the Bluff making your "shoulders shake."
Check out this week's suggestions from Music Director Kari Hedlund, Asst. Music Director Malachy Koons and Reporter Megan Buffington.
Albums
The James Hunter Six - Off the Fence
From England, James Hunter has connected with music from the past since he was teenager, informing his signature retro sound. Off the Fence, his 11th album, marks his first on Dan Auerbach’s (The Black Keys) label Easy Eye Sound. This comes after years at retro soul label Daptone Records.
Yet, in spite of moving labels, Hunter’s longtime collaborator and Daptone’s co-founder Gabriel Roth still produced this album. The songs are varied with influence ranging from the blues, Motown and rockabilly, with some Latin influences sprinkled in. -KH
Mon Rovîa - Bloodline
The debut album from Liberian-American Janjay Lowe, is a remarkable look at a unique upbringing. Born in Liberia during the country’s civil war, Lowe was adopted by a white American family and grew up in Tennessee.
Across Bloodline’s 16 tender indie-folk and banjo accented songs, he uses a personal search for identity and heritage to grapple with larger issues like racism, genocide and war. -MK
Courtney Marie Andrews - Valentine
It needs to be plainly stated that Courtney Marie Andrews' vocals are stunning. While the new album sees Andrews broadening her overall sound, her vocals continue to take the spotlight on Valentine.
The early singles “Keeper” and “Cons and Clowns” are still standouts on the album, but the cuts go deep. “Little Picture of a Butterfly” starts off slow with Andrews' vocals over ethereal music — about one minute and 20 seconds in, it is a bop. And “Only the Best for Baby,” “Best Friend,” “Hangman” and “Pendulum Swing” will all stop you in your tracks. -KH
Singles
Morgan Nagler - "Grassoline"
A co-writer with musicians like Phoebe Bridgers (“Kyoto”), Margo Price, Haim, Kim Deal and others, Nagler is set to release her debut album in March, I’ve Got Nothing To Lose, and I’m Losing It.
While this song "Grassoline" is centered around her love of weed, Nagler's vocals take centerstage on the folk-rock song with Madi Diaz on background. Guitar work starts with gentle fingerpicking into a stanza that ties the whole song together. The lineup on the album looks like the who’s who of indie music, from Allison Crutchfield (Snocaps) to Courtney Barnett to Meg Duffy (Hand Habits) — needless to say I’m very much looking forward to this album. -KH
Samm Henshaw - "Hair Down"
Soul singer Samm Henshaw is back with a feel-good anthem to kick off 2026. The world got you down? Feeling helpless and lost in the face of a never-ending barrage of horrors beamed straight in your skull from your cellular device? This song won’t solve everything, but for three minutes and 11 seconds it will help you slow down, give yourself some grace, let go of the things you can’t change, and “let your hair down.” -MK
Kim Gordon - "NOT TODAY"
After the chaotic and experimental electronics of The Collective from 2024, Kim Gordon’s new single “NOT TODAY” is a surprisingly melodic affair.
“I started singing in a way I hadn’t sung for a long time,” Gordon said in a news release. “This other voice came out.”
Paired with a driving motorik beat and guitar distortion, it has me looking forward to her third solo album, PLAY ME, due out March 13. -MK
Thee Marloes - "Harap Dan Ragu"
While soul music doesn't have a huge scene in Indonesia — home country to Thee Marloes — the trio has tapped into their own authentic version of retro soul, now with this new title track single off their upcoming album, Harap Dan Ragu. They have found a music home at the Brooklyn-based Big Crown Records, a label led by Leon Michels and Danny Akalepse that has strong ties to Daptone Records. The vocals of Natassya Sianturi are warm and smooth over gently swaying percussion and bass. -KH
The Brook & The Bluff - "Can't Figure It Out"
Earworm alert! I was already humming along before I’d even finished the song, and it’s been running through my head on repeat ever since (in a good way, I swear). The third single from The Brook & The Bluff’s upcoming album, Werewolf, continues their trend toward a more upbeat, rock-inspired sound. While I’m a sucker for their melancholy tunes, I can’t complain about their skillful harmonies, bright guitar licks and bass that makes your shoulders shake. -MB
