Khruangbin - A La Sala [Black Vinyl LP]

Khruangbin returns to guitar, bass, drums and occasional vocals on A La Sala, the trio's fourth album. Mark Speer's guitar lines weave around Laura Lee Ochoa's bass and Donald 'DJ' Johnson Jr.'s rhythms, with engineer Steve Christensen assisting. Recorded with minimal overdubs, the album follows the more vocal Mordechai and collaborations with Leon Bridges and Vieux Farka Toure. This black vinyl record is issued by Dead Oceans in a custom sleeve.

'Fifteen Fifty-Three' opens with guitar figures influenced by spaghetti western scores, while 'May Ninth' pairs a gentle melody with soft singing. 'Pon Pón' brings West African disco influences into a dance rhythm, and 'Todavía Viva' draws on G-funk. 'Hold Me Up (Thank You)' includes words of appreciation for family and loved ones, while 'A Love International' builds around repeating guitar and bass phrases. The album alternates instrumental passages with brief vocals and contrasting rhythms throughout.

The title A La Sala means 'to the room' in Spanish, a phrase connected to Ochoa's childhood family gatherings. The group recorded with a familiar engineer and few additional layers. The artwork draws on Speer's travel photographs, with handwritten contributions by Ochoa. This black LP is housed in a die-cut jacket with a printed inner sleeve, with artwork specific to this edition.

• Format: Vinyl LP
• Standout tracks: May Ninth, Pon Pón, Hold Me Up (Thank You), A Love International
• Pressing details: Black Vinyl, Die-Cut Jacket, Printed Inner Sleeve
• Genre/style: Psychedelic Rock, Funk, Downtempo, Alternative
• UPC: 656605165714

Quiet passages such as 'Farolim De Felgueiras' sit alongside the dance rhythms of 'Pon Pón' and 'A Love International'. Guitar melodies, bass figures and drums carry most of the twelve tracks, marking a return to Khruangbin's instrumental approach.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Fifteen Fifty-Three
2. May Ninth
3. Ada Jean
4. Farolim De Felgueiras
5. Pon Pón
6. Todavía Viva

Side B:

1. Juegos Y Nubes
2. Hold Me Up (Thank You)
3. Caja De La Sala
4. Three From Two
5. A Love International
6. Les Petits Gris