Southern Resident Killer Whales’s ‘Wave Forms’ Forge Indie Rock in a Whole New Light
Southern Resident Killer Whales are a rare species in the music industry who merge the spheres of craft pop with colorful alternative rock. Hailing from Minneapolis, the band thinks of music as a fluid, sentient form that evolves on its own. As mediums, they hold space for whatever ways it wants to express itself and follow its lead. And you’ll readily sense their spontaneity, the camaraderie, the playfulness, and most of all the passionate curiosity in their songs. The band had just released their album, ‘Wave Forms’. It is a beach washed, sunny, and warm collection that features an expanding spectrum of styles and genre variations. Starting with folk acoustics, they stretch into country rock, streaking blues, indie rock, and finally alternative rock. It is the perfect album to welcome the summer with.
The collection opens with ‘Artists That Hate Me’, a contemplative storytelling song. It is made with luminous strings and a wandering vocal trail. The acoustic rock subtexts are stained with moody blues that cast a passing gloom. ‘With Love, Always’ reinforces this stylistic profile. The slow-dancing rhythms, dilated baritones, and bright melodies are so lovely to marinate in.
‘Play’s The Thing’ is instantly nostalgic. The way the rhythms form, the places the vocals travel to and the medium of the melodies. All of them flow into a soft place of memories and misty eyed daydreams. ‘Fall Essay’ and ‘Let it Go’ are the perfect successors with their dream rock progressions and archways of narrative lyricism. Both these tracks are so colorful and fluid. The latter track especially boasts accordion streams, earthy island rhythms, and chunky melodic details. It has a way of creating an aura of liberation and peace in the listener.
‘Easy Go’ has more pronounced rock arcs. It places a deeper emphasis on the guitar trajectory, giving it beautiful variations and vesting it with Latin blues. And with seamless progressions, they create worlds that you can keep flowing through, growing in, and evolve out of. ‘Dreamsong’ concludes the album with gunning rhythms and glistening riffs. The bass brims. Whilst the instrumentals claim a strong presence, the vocals are more mellow; a horizon that is smooth and full of gradients that will remind you of the sunset sky.
All of the tracks have a flowing routine, a memorable tone, and a familiar call. Listening to it mirrors the feeling of seeing the ocean after a long time, experiencing its complexity, its mercurial temper, and its expansive beauty. And the soundscapes, inspired by the waves, make for fantastic frames and fantastical sentiments. Listen Now!
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