Solo vocalist, Leon Bridges collaborated with the instrumental trio, Khruangbin to produce Texas Sun and Texas Moon. The two EPs serve to redefine the music that people associate with artists that come from Texas. Bridges is from Fort Worth and Khruangin from Houston, but each with its own distinct sound. In Texas Moon, the songs are an easy listen as they mimic a 21st-century spin on a 70s soul groove. The foursome created musical pieces with elements of storytelling like a rapper but with lyrics of an intimate and known love, much like your first crush. With Bridges as the soulful voice and Khruangbin with dreamy instrumentals, their music is not easily defined as it has layers to be appreciated by all genres of music. From the thumping bass lines to the effortless vocals, it creates a sensual, spiritual, and sacred experience.
Texas Moon concludes with 5 songs in 23 minutes. This is a soulful and psychedelic EP that prompts me to take a late-night joy ride just to hear the bass line in the car speakers late at night. To me,this feels like a religious experience. My personal favorite is “B-Side”, which is warm and filled with vibes of a neo-soul and hip-swinging jam. The light rhythm created with the funky bass line and the sharp beat keeps you intrigued while Bridge slips you into a trance with his falsetto voice. A close second would be the slow and intimate, “Chocolate Hills”. This love song is passionate and bare and really serves to show how Bridges never needed much but his voice and a backup beat. In my opinion, the other production stuff was just for decoration.
Much like America, Texas is a melting pot that welcomes all types of people. Dear Texas, we thank you for artists like Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Travis Scott, and Willie Nelson. We especially thank you for the recent collaboration of Leon Bridges and Khruangbin!
I really do like this album and recommend that everyone checks it out!
Photo credits from: https://www.metacritic.com/music/texas-moon-ep/khruangbin
