The Houston, Texas based trio Khruangbin (pronounced KRUNG-bin, a Thai word meaning “airplane”), featuring bassist/vocalist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, follow-up their 2018 breakthrough release Con Todo El Mundo and recent notable collaboration with Leon Bridges (Texas Sun EP) with their highly anticipated third full-length album, titled Mordechai on the Dead Ocean label.

This brilliant new album sees the group further developing their unique guitar-driven “desert psych-funk” sound, blending together a fusion of reggae dub, surf-rock, and funky Middle Eastern-influenced soul and disco. At times the music can be very moody, almost soundtrack-like, and at other moments, the grooves are primed for a cosmic dance floor like on standout singles “Time (You and I)” and “Pelota”.

Where their past two full-length albums, as well as last year’s dub record Hasta El Cielo, had mostly been instrumental, that trend shifts on Mordechai with the group including vocals, often dreamy and atmospheric, throughout most of the recording. This, along with the addition of vibes, percussion, and pedal steel on select tracks, has really helped expand the trio’s overall sound.

There is no doubt that Mordechai is one of the best albums of the year, and arguably the trio’s most adventurous to date. As with each of Khruangbin’s recordings, the group continues to further develop and take their music to new heights, and has rightfully become one of the top rising bands in the world while still remaining authentic and true to themselves.

Khruangbin — ‘Mordechai’
(Dead Oceans Records)

1. First Class
2. Time (You and I)
3. Connaissais de Face
4. Father Bird, Mother Bird
5. If There Is No Question
6. Pelota
7. One To Remember
8. Dearest Alfred
9. So We Won’t Forget
10. Shida

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• Cosmic
• Funk
• New Releases