New releases last four weeks: All genres

Review: The eagerly awaited album A La Sala marks the return of Texas-based trio Khruangbin, seamlessly blending Thai funk, psychedelic rock, and world music influences. Laura Lee's groovy basslines, Mark Speer's intricate guitar melodies, and Donald "DJ" Johnson's precise drumming define each mesmerizing groove. Tracks like 'Farolim De Felgueiras' and 'A Love International' exude a relaxed vibe, perfect for lazy summer days, while 'Juegos Y Nubes' infuses Latin rhythms with a psychedelic twist. A La Sala takes listeners on a captivating journey through diverse musical landscapes, showcasing Khruangbin's adeptness at genre fusion and their talent for crafting sonic euphoria.

Review: Dwell Time II is the second part of a three-part project on Past Inside The Present from T.R. Jordan. Each of the albums was made using the same material in the same time frame, and they are all part of one overarching and coherent suite that he refers to as "musical composting." This is the cassette tape version and it is full of grainy, fluttering howls, soft warbling pads, pastoral references like flowing streams and mossy rocks and plenty of grand spatial elegance that harks back to the likes of Hiroshi Yoshimura and early Brian Eno experiments. Another immersive offering from this fine label, then.

Review: Souvenirs is the first vocal album from Ethiopian nun, composer and pianist Emahoy Tsege Mariam Gebru. It was recorded between 1977 and 1985 in a lo-fi setup in her family home in Addis Ababa shortly before she was exiled to Jerusalem. Playing the piano and singing through a boom box, Gebru captured the solemn mood of the time as she faced the prospect of leaving her homeland to escape the upheaval brought about the 1974 revolution in Ethiopia. Her playing fuses Western classical with Ethiopian traditional and Orthodox music, while her Amharic lyrics touch on the tumultuous situation she found herself in, in profoundly poetic ways. The accompanying 16-page booklet offers translations of these words, so the message can land for listeners beyond the powerful impact of the recordings themselves.