Few bands have established as distinct an instrumental sound as H trio Khruangbin. Since the release of their debut album, The Universe Smiles Upon You, in 2015, the group have honed a style that combines the reverb-laden twang of spaghetti western melodies with the undulating groove of 70s disco and the earthy shuffle of funk. It is a concoction that has filled arenas, leading audiences to sing back guitar hooks as if they were lyrics.
Following the upbeat, celebratory tone of their album, Mordechai, Khruangbin’s latest marks a return to their relaxed, mid-tempo origins. Each member displays a subtle mastery of their instrument: bassist Laura Lee Ochoa is steady, interweaving with drummer Donald Johnson Jr’s metronomic groove, while guitarist Mark Speer’s top-line melody soars effortlessly. The effect is expansive, spanning the sun-kissed sonic vista of May Ninth, the humid funk of Pon Pón, and yearning balladry of Les Petits Gris. Across the album’s 12 tracks, we never hear a shout, heady drum fill or crescendo. Instead, Khruangbin’s strengths exist in relative quietude, making their intricate music sound so gentle that it lulls the listener into a newly imaginative state.
