Khruangbin’s fourth studio album is an exercise in returning in order to go further. It continues the mystery and sanctity that is the key to how the members of the band approach music. If 2020's album Mordechai was a party record that enhanced the band’s musical reputation, then A La Sala is the measured morning after. An airy record with minimal overdubs, here, Khruangbin’s sonic touch-points include spaghetti-western film scores, west African discos, G-funk fantasias, living room dancing moments or even ambient found sounds. The trio’s musical DNA, the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew, ensures the band continues to sound like no one but itself.
File under: Funk, Soul/Label: Dead Oceans/Original Release Year: 2024