KHRUANGBIN

Dead Oceans

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Genre (or geographical) boundaries have never troubled Khruangbin, a Texas trio formed in 2009 that has an aptitude for gliding from funk and soul to psychedelia and surf with silky grace and tranquil intuition. On its third album, the band bolsters its already prodigious tool kit by making vocals a feature for the first time, in contrast with previous releases that have been largely instrumental in nature. This stylistic decision allows bassist Laura Lee to perfect a lilting disco delivery on Time (You and I), while on Pelota she sings in confident Spanish against Mark Speer’s smoothly unfurling, Santana-esque guitar. Connaissais de Face’s sensual spoken-word exchange evokes the classic duet Je T’Aime … Moi Non Plus, while the spiritual meditation If There is No Question draws on Speer and drummer DJ Johnson’s stint in a church band during their youth. The vocals can sit fairly far back in the spacious, farmhouse-recorded mix — especially on dub-influenced opener First Class — but that simply confirms that this welcome new ingredient is no more important than the rest.