KHRUANGBIN & LEON BRIDGES – Texas Moon

Continuing Khruangbin and Leon Bridges’ musical journey that began with 2020’s “Texas Sun” EP, “Texas Moon” has become an introspective walk through the darkness. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow. Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?” let Khruangbin announce. Leon Bridges on the collaboration: “As far as an essentially instrumental band, these guys are kind of the top for me. I’m honored to have been the first singer that they’ve incorporated in their music.” Khruangbin’s last and to date most successful studio album “Mordechai”, which climbed to number 8 in the charts in Germany, put her own singing more in the foreground for the first time. That change, according to Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald “DJ” Johnson, was a direct result of working with retro soul singer Leon Bridges, who also grew up in Texas and is from Fort Worth. They teamed up again for the “Texas Moon” EP. While the five new songs are clearly a follow-up to the first EP, they also have an identity all their own – Bridges calls them “more introspective”, while Khruangbin bassist Laura Lee says they “feel more like the night”. For “Texas Moon,” Khruangbin and Leon Bridges once again drew inspiration from their shared home state, thoughtfully examining the musical perception of Texas while paying homage to the fusion of country and R&B that has become synonymous with the Lone Star State. Driven by rolling guitar licks, conga and bongo accompaniment, the yearning-drenched “B-Side” meditates on an encounter that took place in a dream. Elsewhere on “Texas Moon,” the artists channel a new, intimate musical framework, expressed most dramatically when the spacey sensuality of minimalist “Chocolate Hills” transitions into the austere spirituality of “Father Father” – a fitting reminder of the gospel roots of both artists. But for Khruangbin, one song in particular was indicative of Bridges’ confidence in their renewed collaboration. “The song ‘Doris’ is about his grandmother making the transition from this world to the next realm,” explains drummer Johnson. “It’s a very somber, very deep record. And when someone places that kind of work into your hands, the last thing you want to do is junk it up, overproduce it, or do too much. We treated it with the respect it deserved , and treated Doris with the respect she deserves.”