A few days ago I had a Dengue Fever night (no, not the disease) and as I emerged from the beautiful Cambodian-infused psychedelia I naturally thought of Khruangbin. To my surprise (and excitement), they dropped a single the day after.
"A Love International" marks the first step towards the trio's upcoming 4th studio LP A La Sala scheduled for release on April 5th via Dead Oceans.
In typical Khruangbin fashion, "A Love International" offers an enigmatic and hazy trip built on tight and minimalistic drums, thick basslines, and emotionally charged guitars that will make you feel like the main character in a 70s movie.
Watch the official music video for "A Love International" below.
When it comes to the album's name, bassist Laura Lee Ochoa elaborates, "A La Sala, I used to scream it around my house when I was a little girl, to get everybody in the living room; to get my family together. That’s kind of what recording the new album felt like. Emotionally there was a desire to get back to square-one between the three of us, to where we came from–in sonics and in feeling. Let’s get back there."
The album is supposed to be a whole new level and way when it comes to how Laura, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson Jr. (drums), and Mark “Marko” Speer (guitar) approach music.
Truth be told, I've no idea what to expect, but am surely hyped about what the trio will offer us. This quote from Marko the album promo is something I would certainly come back to in a few months time. "I read something long ago, attributed to Miles Davis. He said, ‘When they play fast, you play slow. When they play slow, you play fast.’ And it's definitely how I've approached looking at music: Don't follow the trends. And if the trend is this, then do something else."
If you're curious about the full tracklist on A La Sala, here's what we know.
- Fifteen Fifty-Three
- May Ninth
- Ada Jean
- Farolim de Felgueiras
- Pon Pón
- Todavía Viva
- Juegos y Nubes
- Hold Me Up (Thank You)
- Caja de la Sala
- Three From Two
- A Love International
For those, excited like me, you can pre-order the album and various vinyl editions here.