Graham Reid | | <1 min read
Pon Pon
One of the problems which comes with an artist having a distinctive and unique sound is that unless they move it around a bit, that signature becomes so familiar that casual listeners think, “Oh, more of the same”.
That hasn't been too much of a problem for this trio out of Texas whose debut The Universe Smiles Upon You established their lovely brand of gently psychedelic dream-ambience which at times sounded like soft surf instrumentals and at others a kind of stateless world music.
They have shifted things around – the Ali album with Vieux Farka Toure stands out – but on this fourth studio album they seem to have returned to their origins with languid, beautifully crafted atmospheric pieces.
And while that would usually be welcome, with a couple of exceptions here – the short Hispanic-influenced Farolim de Felgueiras, the slightly funky Pon Pon– there's a sense we not only passed by here previously but when we did it was a fresh new sound.
Here it is simply the Khruangbin sound again.
It is charming and this is an exceptionally pleasant, intelligent album which – if you haven't heard them before – will come as a quiet revelation.
But if you've followed them since that still impressive debut and through their live albums you might, by the end of these 40 minutes conclude it was more of the same.
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You can hear and buy this album at bandcamp here
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