The new album from Khruangbin, Hasta El Cielo, drops on Friday via Dead Oceans. It is, like almost everything this trio has released so far, full of music that's virtually outside any easy genre-label, and also wildly infectious. That the tunes here on this 2019 release float close to reggae at times is proof that the band's broadening its range of influences, and mastering yet another style.
The three excellent musicians here in Khruangbin -- Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald "DJ" Johnson on drums -- attack this material with enthusiasm and a wanton disregard for the niceties of sticking to just one genre. That quality is precisely why I love the music of Khruangbin. On Hasta El Cielo, the sound admittedly tilts towards reggae, with a number like "With All The World" being a downright dub masterpiece, even as other tracks here, like "Mary Always", inch closer to pure funk, thanks to that bass from Lee and the drums from Johnson. Mark Speer gets his chance to shine during "How I Love", his shimmering guitar-tones sending this into the stratosphere. "Four of Five" and the title cut here on Hasta El Cielo veer away from the dub-vibe just enough to draw comparisons to Euro-trash soundtrack stuff. Still, there's no denying how much this trio has fallen in love with reggae and dub textures here in 2019, and if you like those styles, you'll likely love Hasta El Cielo as much as I did.
Hasta El Cielo is out on Friday via Dead Oceans
More details on Khruangbin via the band's official Facebook page, or the band's official website.
[Photo: Khruangbin Facebook page]