Khruangbin & Leon Bridges - Texas Sun [Black Vinyl EP]

Houston's psychedelic instrumental trio Khruangbin and Fort Worth soul singer Leon Bridges united for this four-track collaborative EP released in February 2020 on Dead Oceans. The project emerged from their 2018 tour together, when Bridges mentioned he enjoyed singing over Khruangbin tracks and expressed interest in working together. The Houston trio sent him an instrumental they'd recorded, and Bridges returned it the next morning with complete lyrics, sparking sessions at engineer Steve Christensen's warehouse studio in east downtown Houston.

The title track blends Spanish guitar, country pedal steel, and psychedelic elements to capture the feeling of a cross-state Texas road trip. "Midnight" takes inspiration from New Orleans second-line rhythms as Bridges recounts a teenage romance involving clandestine drives. "C-Side" and "Conversation" round out the EP, with the latter incorporating the traditional hymn "At the Cross" by Isaac Watts. The collaboration represents Khruangbin's first time writing with a vocalist, adapting their exotic funk foundation to Bridges' soulful melodies.

This black vinyl 12" EP delivers just over 20 minutes of music that Texas Monthly described as a tribute to the state that raised both artists, layering gospel, country, R&B, and psychedelic influences into a cohesive sonic journey.

• Format: Black Vinyl 12" EP
• Standout tracks: "Texas Sun," "Midnight," "Conversation"
• Pressing details: 6-Panel Cardboard Sleeve
• Genre/style: Psychedelic Soul, R&B, Funk, Indie Rock
• UPC: 656605175034

The EP's success led to a 2022 follow-up, Texas Moon, cementing the partnership between these two distinct Texas musical voices.

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

Track List:

Side A:

1. Texas Sun (4:12)
2. Midnight (5:14)

Side B:

1. C-Side (4:43)
2. Conversion (6:46)