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An Album a Day #2026-03

The Universe Smiles Upon You ii - Khruangbin

David Amos

David Amos

— 1 min read
An Album a Day #2026-03

Notes

I was excited to find this. Khruangbin is a Houston-based band, yet I, as a Houston-based person, had never met their acquaintance. It is good to correct that error of oversight. The record prominently features moving bass lines that wind and weave over a tapestry of ambient guitar, misty vocals, and a solid backbeat. I hear elements of folk, psychedelic rock, blues, soul, and even Peruvian cumbia (see "People Everywhere").

There is nothing boring about this record; each song is satisfying. More than once a I felt some anticipatory excitement for the next track. "Little Joe and Mary," "People Everywhere," "August Twelve," and "Zionsville" are the big standouts this listen. It would be fun to arrange "August Twelve" for the piano.

Listen

What is "An Album a Day"?

Each day in 2026, I'm listening to an album that:

  1. I've never heard before
  2. Was released in the last six months (from the time of listening).
💡
The Universe Smiles Upon You ii is not technically from within the last six months, since the songs on the record were originally recorded a decade ago. But this release is a re-recording. Not a re-mastering. A re-recording. So, I think it qualifies as recent enough.

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