Welcome to WCBN’s Music Review, the world’s premier source of new music to grace your ears! Held weekly on Wednesdays, Music Review is hosted by our amazing Music Directors, Alex and Rosie. It’s a special time reserved for listening to new music of all genres and artists, followed by sharing our thoughts on what we heard (and any sneaky FCC’s)!
Music Review has been going since the start of the semester, but last week felt like the real beginning. After our station’s open house, we’ve been welcoming an awesome number of trainees to the station, and we were super excited to see all the new faces at Music Review! There was a record-breaking attendance of 25 music lovers, and an endless need for more chairs (we eventually ran out). It’s looking to be a pretty exciting semester, and we can’t wait to review some new music!
This week’s featured album is KāFOU (Debut Remaster) by Cassie Watson Francillon and Val Jeanty. Released in July 2025, with 8 tracks and 48 minutes of listening, KāFOU (meaning ‘crossroads’ in Haitian Creole) is an ambient album that blends electronic elements with percussion and harp. Cassie and Val lead us on an ethereal journey, with nods to Black American soundscapes and Haitian influences; there’s never a dull moment listening to KāFOU.
Cassie Watson Francillon (@cassandharp on Instagram) is a harpist from New Orleans who plays both traditional and contemporary styles, weaving the past, present, and future through her visionary sound. Val Jeanty (@valjeanty on Instagram) is a Haitian electric composer and turntablist, intertwining dreamy, spiritual elements into her sound. She’s additionally a professor at Berklee College of Music!
The album starts off feeling like you are floating through the clouds, approaching a magical kingdom in the sky. It truly sounds like the start of a fairytale adventure. All of the songs blend harmoniously together, each track transitioning smoothly into the next, a nice feature I always appreciate. There are some slower tracks in the middle, giving you time to pick up on the duo’s amazing skill set. Cassie Watson takes us on a twinkling journey with her hypnotizing harp skills, while Val Jeanty guides us with a steady percussion beat. The album wraps up with a beautiful song, RICH EITHER – FOS INVIZIB, with a distorted sound that reminds me of a mysterious entity slowing down to rest. Together, Cassive and Val welcome us on an ambient, sparkly voyage through the magical universe of KāFOU.
Favorite Tracks:
STAND – KANPE
BLOOD MOUNTAIN – MON SANG
RICH EITHER – FOS INVIZIB