Since their debut in 2015, the trio that makes up Khruangbin has been laying down intricately-structured psychedelic funk music that draws influences from around the globe. Their melting-pot approach to their instrumentals has become world-renowned, landing them on the top of the charts in multiple countries throughout their career. In recent years their output has featured more collaborations and vocal work from within the band, including their 2020 album Mordechai which features more vocal work from their frontwoman Laura Lee than past releases, and their two critically acclaimed EPs with soul man Leon Bridges. On their latest album, Ali, they teamed up with renowned guitarist Vieux Farka Touré, another master of genre-blending. Together they created a nine-song album filled with delicious guitar licks and spacious instrumentals that ultimately leave more to be desired.
The album rolls out the red carpet for Touré starting at track one. Echo-tinted guitar strumming kicks things off on a high note, the way Touré is able to manipulate the instrument becomes the bloodline throughout Ali. The style of production on this album leans heavily on the guitar sections, the drum patterns are simple and vocals are mixed into the instrumentation instead of over it, leaving these guitar rhythms to do the heavy lifting. Even without much help, Touré’s complex guitar melodies drive the momentum of the music, creating a more ambient sound compared to past releases from either artist.
The space left by the minimal instrumentation on Ali does not go to waste due to the vocal harmonies. While they are subtle, the vocal work from Touré adds a much-needed layer of texture to these songs, and when Lee chimes in with backing vocals, there is an obvious natural rapport that should’ve been explored more throughout the album’s near 40-minute run time. On a song like “Diarabi” where Touré vocals are more prominent, you can hear the passion that the mix dampens when it melts into the instrumental. His solo melody then becomes a beautifully blended harmony when Lee chimes in with her sinfully sweet falsetto, creating a texture that is so unique to these two artists that it’s almost a crime it doesn’t happen more on the album.
While the album has some lows, its highs are impressive. Despite the best efforts of Touré’s world-renowned guitar playing, these tracks leave so much space that you’re left wondering why the members of Khruangbin didn’t capitalize on it, especially because they show signs they are capable of doing so. For example, on “Tamalla”, it starts out like the rest, simple yet effective guitar chords from Touré come in and are met with equally simple drum patterns but on this one, these elements swell up. Towards the end of the song, the tempo picks up and the drum patterns become way more intricate and match the high-level guitar playing, creating a fun, upbeat instrumental section that makes you question why the rest of the album didn’t sound like this.
Ali is filled with amazing moments but ultimately leaves more to be desired. With two instrumental juggernauts working together the expectations of these songs were high and the ambiance that flows through the album is going to shock fans of either artist. Regardless of the lows, the collaborative album allows Touré to experiment more with his vocals and his slick guitar sections became the star of the show. Overall, Ali is an album that adds to an ambiance instead of creating one, leaving the listener expecting more.
