74

74. Con Todo El Mundo - Khruangbin (2018)

Indie

Khruangbin is from Houston, but they could have fooled me. The music they’ve made a name for creating is so globally inspired that it’s difficult at times to even identify their regional influences individually. Middle Eastern flavors are found in abundance throughout Con Todo El Mundo, which appropriately translates from Spanish as “With All The World”. As expected, there are Spanish influences prevalent as well, along with aspects of American funk and psychedelia.

The album is largely instrumental, mercifully acknowledging the reality that adding lyrics to compositions like these would almost certainly detract from what the music itself is saying. From the very first bass note, “Maria Tambien” is a massively contagious dance tune, infusing tasty ingredients from all around the world into a hot pot and stirring it up with a slick and simple guitar and bass duet. The track impels you to move. “August 10” is a groovy lullaby, with soothing properties that border on medicinal. “Shades of Man” opens with a tight riff that sounds like an Indian cover of an American Country ballad. Mesmerizing, funky and, above all, completely unique, Con Todo El Mundo is the shining city on the hill when it comes to what can be manifested through the globalization of artistic influences.

*image; cover art for the album Con Todo El Mundo by the artist Khruangbin