SOUNDS OF REVERIE: Austra, Hayley Williams, Deftones, Innerouter, Alix Fernz

Photo credit: Austra - Lamia Karic

Our favourite part of the week is back: discovering new music to soundtrack your days. Most of these tracks—and plenty more—are spinning on our brand-new radio show, Sounds of Reverie, airing every Thursday from 6–7pm on CKXU 88.3 FM (and streaming via Soundcloud). Here’s what’s caught our ears:

Hayley Williams – Ego Death: At A Bachelorette Party

Hayley Williams has never shied away from breaking herself open in song, but her new album Ego Death: At A Bachelorette Party feels particularly raw. Lead track “Discovery Channel” flips the Bloodhound Gang’s “Bad Touch” into something entirely her own - a sexy but melancholic acoustic reimagining that somehow works. “Ice in my OJ” proves Hayley still knows how to scream her lungs out, while closer “Parachute” has fans speculating about the future of Paramore as she vulnerably tackles mental health and relationship struggles. It’s gut-wrenching, but also some of her best music yet.

Deftones – Private Music

Fresh off their Calgary return (read our full live review here), Deftones have delivered one of their strongest albums in years. Private Music finds the band refining their signature balance of heaviness and ethereal calm, with Chino Moreno’s voice only becoming more magnetic over time. The album’s finale, “infinite source,” is a slow-burn shoegaze masterpiece that cements why Deftones remain one of the most consistent bands a decade deep into their career.

Alix Fernz – “Couteau à la gorge”

Montreal’s Alix Fernz shared that he will be releasing a new sophomore album out October 17 via Mothland, making some of the best of gloriously twisted alt-pop right now. Opening track “Couteau à la gorge” is already a standout, blending jagged guitars and neon-lit synths into something equally sordid and glamorous. The record promises to expand Fernz’s “post-punk, new wave, and alt-pop menagerie” into ten tracks of lurid, danceable chaos. With collaborators like Vincent Lemay (Allô Fantôme), Juan Espitia (Choses Sauvages), and Kenneth Gilmore (Weyes Blood) on board, this is shaping up to be one of the fall’s must-hear releases.

Innerouter – “Satin and Lace” (The Passenger Remix)

Calgary locals Innerouter continue their streak of inventive remixes from their 2024 album Get Real. Their latest drop sees Vancouver producer The Passenger transform “Satin and Lace” into a pulsing electro-industrial banger—dark, gothy, and perfectly suited for late-night dancefloors.

Lhasa Petik – THYMIA

Winnipeg singer, songwriter, and producer Lhasa Petik has released her debut album THYMIA, a self-produced meditation on youth, mental health, and resilience. Drawing from her own journey with cyclothymia, Lhasa crafts a record that embraces the highs and lows of young adulthood with vulnerability and hope. With lush production, raw lyricism, and fearless emotional depth, THYMIA is less an album than an invitation to feel deeply—and it sets the stage for her upcoming live performances at BreakOut West in Winnipeg this September.

Austra – “Math Equation”

Toronto’s Austra are back with “Math Equation,” the first single from their upcoming album Chin Up Buttercup (out November 14 via Domino). Written in the aftermath of heartbreak, Katie Stelmanis delivers a powerful meditation on sudden loss and self-rebuilding. The Trevor Blumas-directed video captures the track’s fragile but luminous energy, reminding us why Austra remain such a vital voice in electronic pop.

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That’s it for this week’s roundup—don’t forget you can hear these songs and more every Thursday on Sounds of Reverie (CKXU 88.3 FM / Soundcloud). Tune in to discover your next favourite artist.