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· Conor Welsch
When a band revisits its own beginning, the result can feel like nostalgia or renewal. The Universe Smiles Upon You IIlands somewhere more meaningful. Khruangbin return to the same barn in Central Texas where their story started, recording a new interpretation of their 2015 debut with the calm confidence of a band that knows exactly who they are. This is not a remake. It is a reflection.
The album spans ten tracks, each one a reimagined version of the songs that first introduced Khruangbin’s global sound to the world. Familiar titles like “White Gloves II”, “People Everywhere II”, and “Zionsville II” appear again, but these are not copies. They are evolutions.
The production is cleaner and the playing more deliberate. The trio’s signature blend of Thai funk, psychedelic groove, and dub still holds, but now the textures have more patience. “People Everywhere II” stretches longer, the rhythm section sitting deeper in the pocket. “White Gloves II” carries new gravity, warmer and slower, as if the years between versions settled into the melody.
This is Khruangbin letting time do the work. Nothing is rushed, and nothing feels forced.
Laura Lee, Mark Speer, and DJ Johnson sound completely in sync. Speer’s guitar tone remains airy and expressive, finding space between notes rather than filling it. Lee’s bass lines are fluid, melodic, and essential. Johnson’s drumming keeps everything grounded, loose enough to breathe but precise enough to hold form.
What makes this record stand out is the sense of perspective. You can hear how far the band has come since 2015, but they never lose the intimacy that defined their early sound. The chemistry is still there, sharpened by years of touring and evolution.
“White Gloves II” feels like the heart of the record. The added warmth in the mix makes it ideal for a vinyl spin late at night.
“People Everywhere II” builds beautifully over its long runtime, the kind of track you let roll until the room goes still.
“Zionsville II” closes the record softly, echoing the same sense of space that opened their career.
This album deserves a clean, minimal pressing. A matte sleeve, deep groove, and the quiet between songs left untouched.
The Universe Smiles Upon You II is not about reinvention. It is about remembering what made something worth creating in the first place. By returning to their roots, Khruangbin give us a record that feels timeless. It sounds familiar but renewed, full of the same warmth that made listeners fall in love the first time.
This is a band showing gratitude through craft.
Khruangbin are past the point of proving themselves. What this album proves instead is longevity. Few bands could revisit their debut and make it sound richer, but they manage it with ease. This release feels like both a closing of a circle and an opening toward whatever comes next.
If their next project pushes forward from here, it may mark the most creative phase of their career. Khruangbin are not just revisiting history. They are rewriting it with clarity and calm.
Best Spins: “White Gloves II,” “People Everywhere II,” “Zionsville II”
For Fans Of: Vulfpeck, Tame Impala, BadBadNotGood, Men I Trust
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