The best records are ones that take the listener on a journey. Through lush soundscapes, evocative sonic textures and plenty of head-bobbing groove, Rochester's King Buffalo rather quietly cascaded into the doom/psych rock scene with their 2016 debut, Orion, and has since toured with bands such as Elder, All Them Witches and The Sword. Their aforementioned tour mates are certainly good reference points for King Buffalo's psychedelic, riff-centric tunes, but at the same time, they're crafted their own sonic identity, as exemplified by their incredible sophomore effort, Longing to Be the Mountain. We have the exclusive premiere of the album, which can and, rightly, should be streamed in full below.
Longing to Be the Mountain is a solid continuation of the blueprint laid on Orion and the band's Repeater EP released earlier this year. Spacey, riffy and bluesy psych rock is punctuated by stoner-like groove with a few prog flourishes thrown in for good measure. The album was produced by All Them Witches' Ben McLeod, who also performed acoustic guitar throughout the album, while the striking cover art was created by Adrian Dexter, who's best known for his work on Elder's record covers and live visuals. It's hard to believe that any fan of psychedelic, stoner, blues or even doom won't find something to love here. In fact, King Buffalo could just be your new favorite band.
Longing to Be the Mountain drops tomorrow, Oct. 12. Physical and digital versions of the record can be pre-ordered at kingbuffalo.com.
King Buffalo will also be embarking on a North American tour later this month in support of Longing to Be the Mountain. Full routing is as follows:
Oct 27 – Montreal, QC @ Montreal Zombie Walk
Nov 1 – Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Nov 2 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
Nov 3 – Fawn Grove, PA @ South County Brewing Co.
Nov 4 – Baltimore, MD @ Metro Gallery
Nov 5 – Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle Back Room
Nov 6 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl
Nov 7 – New Orleans, LA @ Santos Bar
Nov 8 – Houston, TX @ Rudyard’s
Nov 9 – Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas
Nov 10 – Fort Worth, TX @ Lola’s Saloon Sixth
Nov 12 – Nashville, TN @ The End
Nov 13 – Indianapolis, IN @ White Rabbit Cabaret
Nov 14 – Louisville, KY @ Jimmy Can’t Dance
Nov 15 – Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Nov 16 – Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
Nov 17 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Tavern
