Khruangbin – Con Todo el Mundo
Con Todo el Mundo is a celebration of what shared creativity and influence can bring – something the world needs a bit more of these days
We live in a time when it seems that more and more people are choosing to focus on the 'national', whatever that may mean. Despite our digital interconnectivity, it’s easy to feel that divisions rather than connections are being forged. Texan trio Khruangbin are the antidote to this building of barriers. They embrace the 'international', an ethos embodied by second album Con Todo el Mundo.
Spanish for 'With Everybody', or quite literally ‘With all the World’, it’s very much a continuation of the globally-influenced, guitar-led grooves of 2015's The Universe Smiles Upon You. While their debut had its roots in the 60s and 70s Thai funk cassettes that the band listened to on drives to rehearsal, Con Todo el Mundo has a few more stamps in its passport. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern rhythms seep into this sophomore, which, when married to the distinct South East Asian flavours of what Khruangbin do best, makes for a lush warming record blooming with colour and personality.
As on its predecessor, vocals are kept to a minimum. In their stead are Mark Speer’s free flowing guitar lines that have as much lyricism as any vocal. Many tracks would have been equally as at home on The Universe…, but there’s new ground covered in the disco funk of Evan Finds the Third Room and the slow dance of album closer Friday Morning. Mostly, though, Con Todo el Mundo is a celebration of what shared creativity and influence can bring – something the world needs a bit more of these days.
Listen to: Maria También, Lady and Man, Evan Finds the Third Room