8/10

Throughout their illustrious tenure to date, Khruangbin have been seen as one of the more revered names to explore a warm and woozy aesthetic. While instrumental outfits tend to be glossed over within the new music scene, the Texas trio have smashed through expectations and delivered some of the most widely-praised releases in recent years. And with their fame still on the rise, they return with their fourth studio album 'A LA SALA', a record that returns to those tender textures they first emerged with.

On their previous LP 'Mordechai' in 2020, it felt as though the three-piece were leaving their humbled origins behind in pursuit of a more lively and energetic sound. But 'A LA SALA' sees them revert straight back to those breezy ideals of their infancy and explore a more tender direction once again. Keeping the production and instrumentation as light as possible throughout this new collection, Khruangbin return in fine spirits to continue that progressive streak once again.

Brimming with an emotive and atmospheric edge from start to finish, 'A LA SALA' sits as one of their most enchanting efforts to date. While still very much keeping the Khruangbin style intact here, their confidence to delve deeper into their chosen guise shows that they still have plenty of fresh and interesting ideas in which to pursue.