Glass Beams, Live at Nox Orae 2024

It’s tempting to write off Glass Beams as yet another pretender to Khruangbin’s psychedelic instrumental throne. And truth be told, I get it. Both bands are trios, both hands have costume gimmicks (Khruangbin has wigs, Glass Beams has beaded masks), and both play that’s alternately trippy and funky, and so crisp and precise you could set an atomic clock to it.

But whereas Khruangbin draws inspiration from Thai and country music, Glass Beams draws inspiration from traditional and classical Indian music. What’s more, songs like “Black Sand” and “Mahal” possess a certain noir-ish edge, suggesting clandestine meetings and encounters in some New Delhi bazaar or backstreet.

Most of the band’s set from the 2024 Nox Orae festival comes from pre-existing recordings, including 2024’s Mahal EP. But they slip in a fiery new song titled “Silver Tongue” and close out with their take on “Raga Bhairav,” an ancient piece of classical Indian music.