Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo

US musical wanderers pick, mix and match music from all over the world to create a truly universal experience

World music used to mean non-Western music packaged for a Western audience: it could be African, Indian or Middle Eastern… as long as it was exotic. With the new globalist current that exploded nearly ten years ago (we credit M.I.A. for this Big Bang) this notion is now outdated. Khruangbin, from Houston, make true “world music”: sounds, melodies and ideas come together seamlessly no matter where they originate from. The band started as a homage to Thai funk/rock. Their latest album is a hommage to Iranian pop sounds of the 1970s, mixed with funk, a bit of latino, and anything else that captures their interst. Most importantly, it avoids the horrible “fusion” label by having everything coexist in perfect harmony. Mostly wordless, each track lets the instruments sing in various tongues, while groovy rhythms guarantee they never fade into the background, despite a very relaxed vibe.

Highlights: “Maria También”, “Evan Finds The Third Room”, “Rules”, “Friday Morning”, “Shades of Man”