Khruangbin, a musical trio from Houston, Texas, released their newest album A LA SALA, and it is one of their best to date.

They released the album a little more than a month after announcing the A LA SALA tour, which debuted on April 14 at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The tour will span just under five months and finish at the Saenger Theater in New Orleans on October 10.

This was Khruangbin’s first album since they released Mordechai in June 2020. They had been teasing an album release over the beginning of this year while releasing three singles: A Love International, May Ninth, and Pon Pón, respectively. These three tracks would also make it on the A LA SALA album, along with nine new songs.

With the release of A Love International in January 2024, fans were able to grasp an idea of what the band’s next album would sound like. While keeping the same style of psychedelic rock that they had used in their previous albums, they wanted to really show off their instrumental skills on their new album in a way that they hadn’t done previously.

In other words, there was much less of a focus put on the lyrics of songs on this album compared to their older albums (which still wasn’t a lot). While many bands or artists put their main focus on their lyrics, that is one of Khruangbin’s least important aspects. Rather they use their instrumentals as vocals. Ammar Kalia of The Guardian states, “The group [has] honed a style that combines the reverb-laden twang of spaghetti western melodies with the undulating groove of 70s disco and the earthy shuffle of funk. It is a concoction that has filled arenas, leading audiences to sing back guitar hooks as if they were lyrics.”

That is exactly what they wanted out of this album, and according to most fans, they have absolutely delivered. However, others have been taken aback by their new sound.

Some think that the music lacks the energy that albums like The Universe Smiles Upon You, Con Todo El Mundo, or even Mordechai possess. For example, songs like Time (You and I), and Pelota, from their album Mordechai showcase their lyricism. Also, a song like People Everywhere (Still Alive) demonstrates its speed.

A LA SALA, however, took a much different approach, going with a much more chill style of music. While the band may not exude as much energy in their music on A LA SALA, their new style gives the listener a much more in-depth view of the true musical prowess of each member of the band.

For example, the song Hold Me Up (Thank You) is the perfect song for this album and my personal favorite. It shows off each member of the band to the perfect extent. Whether it’s through guitarist Mark Speer’s incredible solos, drummer Donald Johnson’s perfectly timed drumming, or bassist Laura Lee’s hauntingly beautiful vocals, this song is not only one of the best on the album but in their entire discography.

Another song similar song is May Ninth, providing a steady, and calming sound that you will very rarely hear in today’s music. This is constantly shown by Speer’s impeccable tone, Lee’s incredible vocals, and Johnson’s undeniable rhythm.

While Speer and Johnson are the two co-founders and the ones who get the most recognition, you can’t forget to mention Laura Lee on the bass, especially in the song Ada Jean. Without her, you would constantly get lost in Speer’s creative riffs, but with her presence on the bass, that doesn’t happen. She is the true backbone of the band, and she shows it in Ada Jean, even if you can’t hear it all the time.

Rosy Alvarez, a writer for Pitchforck, also believes Laura Lee stands out in Ada Jean. “The big standout is Ada Jean, a Noirsh composition anchored by Lee’s shadowy, suspicious baseline. As the song progresses, Speer’s fluttery guitar riffs soften the scene, which ends with the distant sounds of sirens and whispers.”

Yet another standout from the album is Todavía Viva, another song where Laura Lee’s baseline is absolutely essential to the flow of the song. Lee’s contribution on the bass is not only essential to the flow of the song but also to the sound in general, as she has some outstanding licks throughout the song.

Not to be forgotten, though, is Mark Speer. His creativity is truly on display in this song, and you can see it over and over again through his picking techniques and the way he slides up the neck of the guitar. He also adds an interesting touch with all of the pauses in the song, as they seem to get longer as the song goes on. The pauses create a harrowing sense of suspense, and they really immerse the listener in the song.

Overall, the band repeatedly shows how they can combine so many small pieces of a song into one unified song. Saint Paul’s junior Vincent Cruise couldn’t agree more: “It’s a cohesive unit with an overlying theme comprised of many small, more original pieces. It’s a beauty of an album.”

As Cruise stated, A LA SALA is a beauty of an album and one that may never be replicated.