A LA SALA or “To the Room” in Spanish — the band’s latest studio album and first LP in four years - contains previously released singles ‘A Love International' and 'May Ninth'.
In the realm of instrumental neo-psych, Khruangbin undeniably reign as leaders. Their first two releases, The Universe Smiles Upon You and Con Todo El Mundo, stood as giants within the modern psych scene, establishing the Texan-based trio’s meticulous craftsmanship and predominantly instrumental, Latin-inspired melodies as outliers among their peers.
However, subsequent releases such as Mordechai and Ali fell somewhat short, with the group trading their fluid, jam-like nature for a more minimalist approach that lacked the genre-bending magic of earlier work like ‘Lady and Man’ and ‘People Everywhere’.
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A LA SALA, a follow-up that’s released under immense expectation. While it does undoubtedly showcase the tight interplay and alluring marriage of virtuosity and psych-pop that the group have become renowned for, it once again lacks the distinct fluidity, genre progression, and unpredictability that characterised their earlier material.
Technically, Khruangbin will never disappoint. Their unmatched musical prowess is hard to criticise, and listeners will undoubtedly still find solace in the group’s signature, easy-listening, wistful ambience in tracks like ‘Ada Jean,’ ‘Pon Pón,’ and ‘Hold Me Up (Thank You).’
But for the most part, A LA SALA tends to lean too heavily into its subtleties, leaving many songs feeling somewhat lacklustre, rudimentary and aimless compared to the group’s previous work.
As a whole, A LA SALA might be better described as a cinematic score rather than the eagerly awaited sequel longed for by fans.
Khruangbin are releasing their eagerly anticipated album A LA SALA on Friday 5 April via Dead Oceans.
