KILLER WHALE’S NEW LP TASTES LIKE YESTERDAY
OUT VIA DEVIL IN THE WOODS
Killer Whale blends southern R&B with sunny California rock and other musical influences. The album's kaleidoscope of styles is anchored by songwriter Thomas Johnson's laid back sensibilities. For those who just want to lose themselves in a series of relaxing tunes, look no further - Newsweek
Major early MTV vibes…...the surf infused with the swamp - WWOZ
Killer Whale’s new full-length album...has the bounce and rhythm of Southern R&B and the sunny haze of West Coast surf folk - Gambit Weekly
At once deeply in tune with contemporary sensibilities, dream pop keyboards and harmonies, it also taps into classic '70s soul sounds, culminating in a piece of pop that moves the heart as often as it moves the feet - PopMatters
An original brand of dreamy, surfer, psychedelic rock, with the power of funk and soul. The beauty of Killer Whale lies in the group’s ability to make you feel laid back while also showing you a really good time. It’s about mellowing out and taking a load off right when real life starts to feel a little too overwhelming - V13
It’s not easy to find a comparison for this band that is clearly comfortable doing its own thing. They combine the psychedelia of Buffalo Killers with the groovy, jazzy feel of Medeski, Martin, and Wood…and tie it all together with percussion that would fit in just as well on a Martin Denny record. It makes for an interesting listening experience no matter what you choose to call the band’s sound. Do yourself a favor. Grab whatever gets you 'in the zone,' put this album on, and enjoy the ride - Glide Magazine
A kaleidoscopic and refreshing addition to the musical landscape, groovy to the last drop - Spill Magazine
Psycho-rock vibes with a mixture of country, folk and even jazz elements - Pretty In Noise
Johnson cooks up mid-tempo jams that reflect his travels—songs that sound like they belong as equally in an urban California bedroom as they might at an outdoor music festival. His guitar defines these compositions: bent blue notes, major key melodies, shades of funk, soul, and R&B—a jam band with pop sensibilities - Antigravity Magazine
A beautiful slice of hazy R&B/pop, with these ethereal vocals floating over gluey synths and this sprawling bassline - Backseat Mafia
With a chill vibe from start to finish and a hazy coolness, the song is a delightful blend of influences that add up to a rock’n soul classic - East of 8th
If you fancy 1960s spring-reverbed-fender guitars, grooving congas, and warm gritty vocals with a bit of California soul – then Killer Whale will be your new favorite band - Trend & Chaos
One part old-school Muscle Shoals soul, one part breezy surf rock that’s centered around Johnson’s soulful crooning - The Joy Of Violent Movement
Art: Lizzie Bilbrey
LISTEN: TASTES LIKE YESTERDAY
Today, New Orleans-based band Killer Whale releases their latest album Tastes Like Yesterday via Devil In The Woods, co-produced by frontman Thomas Johnson, Scott Sibley, and Grayson Converse of Spooky Mansion. The album, which premiered this week at Spill Magazine, combines the surf-infused sounds of the dreamy California coast and the soulful R&B of Johnson’s Louisiana roots. A mixture of genres, Killer Whale doesn’t subscribe to any one camp. Instead, it exudes them all.
With their colorful rhythms and rock n’ roll daydreams, they create a space that invites you in, tells you to make yourself at home, and hugs you as you walk in the door. Killer Whale, much like its creator, wanders between New Orleans, Austin, and San Francisco, bearing the melodic scars all that travel brings him.
This kaleidoscope of sound oozes from every dreamy groove of the album’s psychedelic, surf-infused, funk n' soul-tinged gems. With that kind of concoction, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched to think that the songs would be a melee, an atonal mishmash that harkens back to the days of being different for different’s sake. Under the leadership of another musician, such might be the case, but Killer Whale melds everything together in the name of freaky good fun. [Text Wrapping Break]
Tastes Like Yesterday finds Johnson’s muse immersing him in a very seductive, mellow soul. “I’m from Louisiana, and New Orleans culture and music have always been an influence on me, whether consciously or not,” Johnson says. When asked how he describes his music, Johnson laughs and suggests it’s “Pontoon Soul.” Lead single “Comfortable” offers an example of this new genre; it’s swampy and murky, yet Johnson’s heavenly voice transcends, resulting in a song best described as drop-dead gorgeous.
Tastes Like Yesterday is available digitally and on vinyl HERE at Killer Whale’s Bandcamp page.
Killer Whale will perform live outdoors at Beauvoir Park in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on October 23rd. Click HERE for tickets and show information. Tune in HERE to get a taste of Killer Whale’s fantastic live performance from Downman Sounds in New Orleans for Jam In The Van’s Jam In YOUR Van series benefiting the Equal Justice Initiative.
TASTES LIKE YESTERDAY TRACK LIST
SUNRISE
CANOPY
COMFORTABLE
DROP OUT
STAY LOOKIN’
SLIP AWAY
DUSK
PLENTY OF TIME
HIGH ON YOUR LOVE
EVERYTHING IS COOL
DIGITAL CLOUDINESS
NOT THE TIME
DON’T RUN AWAY
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