Music / Psych-pop
Review: Khruangbin, SWX
Dreamy, ethereal music was the soundtrack to an enrapturing evening at SWX. New York creatives The Shacks were the first to open whimsical floodgates, leading with Strange Boy, and Orchids. Lead vocalist Shannon Wise’s sweet and softly spoken voice conceals powerful and smoky intonations that would have played perfectly to a dimly lit underground bar.
Crooning about youth and the loves it brings, each song shapes a meticulous setlist and almost every other track climaxes in a breakdown that wouldn’t be out of place in the most feverish of dreams. The interludes in This Strange Effect and Rain are both brilliant and insane in equal measures, displaying a vibrant alternative to their recorded counterparts and a convincing excuse to catch them live.
While The Shacks layer pensive vocals over sprawling instrumentals, Khruangbin almost entirely rely on the latter. Having originally sold out the now closed Bierkeller, they still managed to pack out the larger SWX. Starting with second album opener Cómo Me Quieres before moving onto Dern Kala and August 10, it’s immediately apparent that the crowd is in for something truly mystical.
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Guitarist Mark Speer informs us that “we’ve got some new cuts, some old cuts and we’re gonna mix them all together”. Seamlessly meandering through both albums it’s barely noticeable when they do ‘cut’ between tracks, weaving an atmosphere so thick that it never becomes background noise despite it only featuring vocals in smatterings.
From the ethereal nature of White Gloves to the jazzy bounce of Evan Finds the Third Room – there is a distinct soul in every beat, which is even more prevalent in person. The band attributes this to a fascination with worldly sounds including Caribbean, Middle Eastern and 1960’s Thai funk. Having lived in Thailand for a number of years I can attest that they construct appropriately similar vibes to that of my favourite haunts.
There is a fuzzy, wavy nature to every lick that comes from the stage. Maria También and People Everywhere (Still Alive) receive the largest responses of the night, with each throwing the crowd into groovy rapture. It’s incredibly impressive that in a time of diminishing attention spans a band that rely on their voices so little have this sort of engagement and turnout and it’s a true testament to just how good Khruangbin are.
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