“So We Won’t Forget” by Khruangbin

“So We Won’t Forget” is a groovy, airy single from Khruangbin’s recently released album, Mordechai, with a message about remembering the people and the moments we love. Khruangbin hails from Houston, Texas, but they’re known for blending a wide variety of international influences with a strong base in funk and soul.

“So We Won’t Forget” delivers the funky bass lines and bright, textured melodies their fans expect and love, but the additional vocals (less present in previous albums) add another level of depth. The lyrics implore the listener to treasure what is in front of them, coming back to the importance of memory as well as the difficulty/futility in capturing everything you want to remember.

“Ooh, one to remember
Writing it down now
So we won’t forget
Ooh, never enough paper
Never enough letters
So we won’t forget

Ooh, every minute
Every hour
So we won’t forget
You don’t have to be silent
Say to remind me
So we won’t forget”

The trio Khruangbin
Credit: Mary Kang via vulture.com

While the roughly five-minute song essentially repeats the same two stanzas from beginning to end, it doesn’t grow old to me. Perhaps it’s because I’m familiar with Khruangbin as jam-band-esque. Or maybe it’s because the repeated stanzas and nostalgia-inducing sound seem to fit the theme of remembering so damn well. As stated by the band in a press release, “Now more than ever it’s important to tell the people you love that you love them, so that they don’t forget.”

The music video is wonderful. Written and directed by Scott Dungate and shot in Japan, it begins with a man and a giant stuffed bunny on a bicycle. His story unfolds through various scenes, and it’s one that’s heartbreaking, funny, and confusing all at once. There is sorrow, conflict, and joy-in-memory, all backed by the whimsical harmonies of “So We Won’t Forget” in the background. Worth a watch.