Hermanos Gutiérrez
“Los Andes”
Easy Eye Sound (available via Bandcamp)
We’ve living in a time where quiet, contemplative music is making a big impact on listeners.
I call it the “Khruangbin effect,” where the Texas (mainly) instrumental trio blend dub, reggae, ’60s psych rock, Thai pop, and other global influences and bring it together in a way that has allowed them to reach millions of streams, millions of fans, and sell out massive theaters around the world.
What if that slick laidback song playing in the background at just the right level at that fancy restaurant you like was also your favorite band? They’re cool yet also fully adopted by Phish fans. It’s a stunning development.
I can’t think of another band that presents mostly instrumental tracks but has had such a glow up, although Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela comes to mind.
That means Khruangbin (and others) have opened doors for others doing instrumental music. One of the first that comes to mind is Hermanos Gutiérrez, the insanely attractive Swiss-Ecuadorian sibling duo Estevan and Alejandro Gutiérrez. They’re getting ready to release their forthcoming album Los Ojos Del Cóndor in September via Easy Eye Sound (the label of Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys, who might be a better A&R guy than anything else).
Their latest single, “Los Andes,” is a great example of this wave of instrumental music making an impact in pop culture. With the interplay of guitar and lap steel, it’s cinematic and vast (much like the mountain range it’s named after). It’s capable of grabbing your full attention even without lyrics.
While I doubt this would make waves on commercial radio, it’s popular on public radio throughout the country and starting to infiltrate major swaths of music fans — many of whom likely listen to Khruangbin and Phish.
That’s right — I’m talking about Jack Johnson fans. Johnson recently collaborated with Hermanos Gutiérrez and took them on tour. It’s actually an endlessly sweet full circle story, with the brothers growing up idealizing Johnson and finally getting to collab with their hero.
With the door wide open for instrumental bands to find footing with new audiences, Hermanos Gutiérrez is by far one of the most captivating entries into this bubbling up genre. They’re great storytellers… even without uttering a word.
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