Texas Moon
Texas connection aside (Bridges is from Fort Worth, Khruangbin from Houston), Leon Bridges and Khruangbin make a natural pair: Bridges, the throwback soul man who brings R&B’s past into vivid focus, and Khruangbin, a one-band jukebox whose encyclopedic sense of groove has made them one of the more sneakily pleasurable artists of the 2010s. A companion to 2020 collaboration *Texas Sun*, *Texas Moon* is, first and foremost, a mood: dusky, mellow, warm, windows down. The artists can take on Philly soul with a psychedelic slant (“Doris”), mix disco with West African juju (“B-Side”), and play country cadences with ambient, indie-rock warmth (“Mariella”), all with an effortlessness that would make their melting pot state proud.
Two of the acts boldly leading Texas music into the future have now delivered a second chapter of their groundbreaking collaboration, further extending the region’s sonic possibilities. Singer/songwriter Leon Bridges, from Ft. Worth, and trailblazing Houston trio Khruangbin have joined forces for the Texas Moon EP, a follow-up to 2020’s acclaimed Texas Sun project. While the five new songs are clearly a continuation of the first EP, they also have an identity all their own—Bridges calls it “more introspective,” while Khruangbin bassist Laura Lee says it “feels more night time.” When Texas Sun was released, AllMusic called the results “intoxicating” and Paste noted that “their talents and character go together so well.” Now comes the next stage—a set of songs that touch on themes like love, faith, and death while exploring new dimensions of inventive, hypnotic grooves. Significantly, both parties’ musical directions were clearly affected by their time working together. Khruangbin’s most recent album, Mordechai, moved their own vocals much further forward, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges. Meanwhile, since these recordings began, in addition to his genre-defying album Gold-Digger’s Sound, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye, and Jazmine Sullivan. Texas Moon represents a genuine and rare achievement, with two of the most respected and innovative acts of their generation truly collaborating to create something new. “As far as an essentially instrumental band, these guys are kind of the top for me,” says Bridges. “I’m honored to have been the first singer that they’ve incorporated in their music.” “It feels really special to me,” says Lee. “It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.”
The second collaboration from the two acts finds a satisfying middle ground between their respective sounds.
Khruangbin and fellow Texan Leon Bridges get on so well that they refer to their association in familial terms, so it's no surprise that they reconvened in Houston to knock out a sequel (or flipside) to Texas Sun.
Texas is arguably best known for country music, but the Lone Star State has produced major contributors to a kaleidoscope of genres. It's a...
Khruangbin and Leon Bridges are making short stories, impactful yet ephemeral. Think of their EPs, 2020’s Texas Sun and this year’s Texas Moon, as something akin to specialized mix-drinks, available for one night only, telling engaging tales on a cool, open patio. On their own, the two vibe-setters have both settled into an overcrowded industry with laidback and often engaging grooves. And together, while their delivery can come across as benign, it is often experimental and engagingly fun.
Texas Moon by Khruangbin & Leon Bridges album Review by Robert Duguay. The release is now available via Dead Oceans and DSPs