Khruangbin’s A La Sala Album Review

Khruangbin–whose band name translates to “engine fly” or airplane–has created their music into an immersive environment featuring funky flooring, an atmospheric ceiling drenched in bluesy grooves and global influences from Thailand, West Africa and Americas. Their Houston trio spent years honing a dreamy hypnotic groove they now open their room and welcome everyone with A La Sala.

What is Khruangbin?

Khruangbin first made waves with Bonobo’s Late Night Tales mix in 2013, quickly spreading word of their dreamy yet hypnotic grooves. However, as their success increased so too did speculation over which genre best describes them: soul? funk? or psychedelic rock?

Khruangbin are three musicians from Texas’s southwest corner who defy categorization. Bassist Laura Lee Ochoa met guitarist Mark Speer while performing in a gospel band and recruited drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson as part of their trio that would eventually form Khruangbin.

Their name, translated from Thai as “engine fly” or “airplane,” reflects their global musical influences, with A La Sala continuing this trend. Showcasing music that spans multiple genres and has garnered fans from tech bros to Teva-wearing hippie folk alike while creating a uniquely Houston sound–one which fits equally well in worldly jungles and cowboy saloons alike.

The Universe Smiles Upon You

Khruangbin, comprised of bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer and drummer Donald Johnson from Houston has been creating stellar psychedelic instrumentals since 2007. Their unique moniker — which comes from Thai for “airplane”, an allusion to Tarantino soundtracks as well as 1960’s Thai funk — perfectly describes their music’s versatility: traversing oceans, decades and languages with bass-heavy soundscapes and layer upon layer of psych-funk acoustics.

Texas, known for its diversity, provided Ochoa with ample opportunities to bring influences from around the globe into his work – from Robbie Shakespeare fretwork on their debut release through seventies proto-zouk from French Antilles on their 2018 release Con Todo El Mundo and now A La Sala, their first LP since 2020.

A La Sala

Khruangbin have long collaborated with both Leon Bridges on 2022’s Ali and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Toure on Texas Sun and Texas Moon EPs; now, A La Sala finds Khruangbin playing to their strengths. Relative tranquility lets listeners fully appreciate elements of songcraft and musicianship which may otherwise get hidden by more dense, psychedelic works of the band.

A La Sala is Khruangbin’s sophomore studio release and follows 2020’s Mordechai which served to expand their musical footprint globally. A La Sala marks an introspective, contemplative follow-up. Reducing everything–vocals and spacey synths–Khruangbin creates a delicate ambience which envelops listeners like an ethereal spell, leading listeners into dreamscapes full of impossible skies; each cover painting offers insight into these otherworlds while being offered as vinyl color sets!

Con Todo El Mundo

With lyrics sparse and instrumental compositions largely utilized by this Texas trio’s music is an antidote to modern pop. Instead of pushing narratives forward, their songs offer a space where one can lose themselves to rhythms of life, reminding us all of our common roots.

After their 2015 debut LP ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ took heavy inspiration from 60s and 70s Thai funk, their second release “Con Todo El Mundo” took a deeper exploration into global sounds from Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and Laura Lee’s Mexican heritage – providing the ideal soundtrack for long car journeys and desert sunsets alike.

Through-out this record, drummer Donald Johnson’s steady, ever-ready beats and guitarist Mark Speer’s melodic low-end theory combine into a vibe-synchronic soul unit whose totality exceeds that of its parts. Khruangbin are here to reclaim slow dance – so put down your screens and find somewhere peaceful where you can lose yourself in music.