A lot has changed since Khruangbin put out its last original studio album, Mordechai, in June 2020. There was that one thing, the global pandemic, which went on a lot longer than all of us probably expected just three months into the global shutdown. During that worldwide timeout, Khruangbin also became something of a worldwide phenomenon—the instrumental-leaning trio whose influences span from Houston, TX to Latin America to Thailand able to freely cross boundaries with its music that’s simultaneously familiar and foreign across tongues.
Since returning from the pandemic-induced shutdown of live concerts, Khruangbin has kept things somewhat close to the vest. Salivating fans’ appetites were teased with a string of remixes, another collaborative EP with Leon Bridges, and an out-of-left-field cover album with Malian singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Touré. Following the release of the latter, Ali, Khruangbin retreated from view following bassist Laura Lee‘s announcement that she was pregnant with her first child. As she welcomed the baby into the world, K-bin stayed engaged with fans by rolling out five live albums featuring guests Toro y Moi, Men I Trust, Nubya Garcia, and more.
Now, Khruangbin is back with its first original studio album in four years, A La Sala. With the album’s announcement came the revelation of a 55-date worldwide tour that continues to grow as more dates sell out. With the release of A La Sala and the tour—officially set to kick off in grand fashion at Coachella—Khruangbin has accepted its global stardom.
The 12-track, 39-minute album rides the horse that got Khruangbin this far, with warm instrumental compositions highlighted by Mark Speer‘s guitar lines that dance through the air like a trail of smoke rising from burning incense. K-bin’s winning formula is heard from the opening track “Fifteen Fifty-Three” through other atmospheric numbers “Three From Two” and “A Love International”.
Related: The Story of Khruangbin: Global Sounds, Sonic Journeys, & “All That Rad Sh*t” [Interview]
While Khruangbin certainly adheres to its signature style, A La Sala also displays the group’s continued growth. From 2018’s sophomore release Con Todo El Mundo through Mordechai and now into A La Sala, the trio of Lee, Speer, and human metronome Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums continues to peel back some of its inherent mystery with increased vocal activity. On “Pon Pón”, Lee’s distant whisper beckons the listener further into Khruangbin’s world. Lyrically, the song reveals more of the band’s background with words that appear to come from the perinola, a dreidel-esque spinning toy from Latin America used for betting games. Lee’s siren song continues in “Todavía Viva”, her subdued singing beckoning the listener in from the next room.
There’s also “Juegos y Nubes” which sounds like it could have been ripped from the band’s 2015 debut The Universe Smiles Upon You. The instrumental carries the tenacity of the band’s early days, with more power behind the composition rather than the Valium fever dream of more recent releases (which there is certainly a time and place for). A La Sala is a well-sequenced journey, riding the swell of energy as the ambient “Farolim de Felgueiras” drops into the club decadence of “Pon Pón”.
Then there’s the matter of the album cover. Previous Khruangbin covers have been awash in colors, be it the psychedelic splatter of The Universe Smiles Upon You, the radiant glow of the skyline on Con Todo El Mundo, or the paint-by-numbers simplistic elegance of Mordechai. On A La Sala, however, the band embraces symmetry and simplicity with a partial view from a window staring out at clouds. A faded salmon-colored, textured drywall blocks the rest of the view, giving us only part of the full image—an ethos of intrigue that has lied at the heart of the wig-wearing Khruangbin since the band’s inception in 2010.
A La Sala comes to a close with the subtle, piano-driven coda “Les Petits Gris”. Speer hardly makes a whimper, as the mildly hypnotic repeated piano phrase induces a euphoric cool-down following the instrumental workout. “Les Petits Gris” is far from the standard Khruangbin formula, and it provides a satisfying end to the disc fans have been hungry for, signaling that there is more to come as the band climbs this next rung to the world stage.
A La Sala is out now across streaming platforms and available on vinyl, CD, and cassette here. The band’s tour kicks off on April 14th at Coachella and will run through October. Find tickets and a full list of tour dates on Khruangbin’s website.
Khruangbin — A La Sala
A LA SALA by Khruangbin
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