Currents - Tame Impala

Released on: 17 July, 2015

Country: Australia

Label: Interscope (US), Universal (AUS), Fiction (EU)

Producer: Kevin Parker

---

 Rating : 9.1

---

 

Tame Impala's Latest entry, "Currents" reinvents the wheel by giving psychedelia a new direction. While the much anticipated release has surely broken a few fans hearts it's hard not to feel it's tender beauty.

Very few artists have undergone change while retaining relevance. Kevin Parker’s pet project Tame Impala has definitely made the cut at least this time. Parker has made a brave decision to replace his signature psychedelic guitar wig outs with groovy synths and electronic breakdowns. After the retro rock revival fest "Innerspeaker" and the brilliantly trippy "Lonerism" comes the emotional masterpiece.

This album marks an important shift in Kevin Parker's musical direction. But it will surely alienate hipsters and psychedelic purists. But considering the pinnacle of psychedelia, "Lonerism", this shift seems to be the best Parker could do. Placing psychedelia in a new mold, Parker extracts the best of house music, disco, funk and R & B, while laying more emphasis on synthesizers than guitars. It sounds like a cross between Daft Punk's "Random Access Memories", Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks", infused with Parker's lyrical acumen and production genius. It is a beautiful re-imagining of Tame Impala's previous efforts and every good break-up album.

Parker has definitely matured as a lyricist. While undergoing a break up with Melody Prochet (of dream pop project Melody's Echo Chamber fame), he has channeled his emotions into the perfectly crafted tracks without revealing much about him. Solidarity has always been at the core of Tame Impala, but none of their previous efforts address it the way this album does. This album is no short of paradoxes, with lush electronic arrangements and polished production that sound surprisingly to songs that are deeply rooted on personal experiences and yet have an universal appeal. It's amazing how Parker paints a picture of his emotions without revealing much about himself. While it lacks the immediacy of the previous albums, it's one of the best written albums ever. Every song in the album is uplifting but it beneath it lies subtle hints of melancholy and nostalgia.  This effort is almost a concept album with themes of change, inhibitions, lost love and solidarity recurring through most of the songs.

Changes aren't that easy, especially for introverts and Kevin Parker knows that well. The opening track which would easily could have been a grand finale for other artists’ deals with the willingness to accept a change and the hesitations associated with it. Songs "Yes I'm Changing" and "Eventually" talk about the imminent separation between two (which could be two lovers or the inner selves). All of them are warped in the sublime synths, and Parker's silvery falsetto and beautifully expose the vulnerabilities of the mind. "The Moment" which is strategically placed after "Let it Happen", is an upbeat track filled with unapologetic optimism in spite of the inimical situation.

"Past Life" serves as a trigger as Parker sees the past (probably his ex) as "reflection on his rear view mirror". Parker's spoken epiphany is intercut with an swooning melody and is layered with feedback and ascending hip hop beats to create hypnotic effect that reiterates his past and brings back his memories does halting his metamorphosis.The songs, "Reality in Motion" and "Love/Paranoia" deal with love, self-doubt and the insecurities in a relationship. "Reality in Motion" deals with the personal insecurities and hesitation that potentially mars a new romantic or sexual relationship. "Love/Paranoia" validates Parker's insecurities by saying that it's due to 'pure love'. But as seen in "The Less I Know The Better", they rather come from irrational jealousy. The ultimate song "New Person Same Old Mistakes" serves as an aftermath of the metamorphosis. After the inner conflicts and confusion, he finally lets it happen but realizes that he is a new person but will continue to doubt himself and make mistakes. Hence, new person, same old mistakes. Now, this song perfectly sums up the entire album without leaving loose ends.

The shorter tracks serve to showcase Parker's production expertise and make you go “Whoa! How did he do that?”. Stoners and synth nay - sayers can get a taste of guitar psych rock, on "Disciples", which according to Parker is a throwback at 70's radio music. "Nangs", seems like a vestige from a past psychedelic experience as Parker thinks about what went wrong amidst dizzy loopy synths and a repetitive synthesizer riff.

Parker refuses to stick to a single style as he includes songs like "The Less I Know The Better" and "Cause I'm a Man". The former one incorporates the hard funk of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and an infectious melody with the psychedelic synths. It can be considered as a slight detour from the the other songs as he sings about his unrequited love and jealousy of finding her with someone else.  "Cause I'm a Man" sounds like a white soul piece especially with a chorus like that, but it sounds closer to My Morning Jacket's "Z" era. The chorus "I'm a man, woman/ Don't always think before I do" perfectly expresses the fragility of masculinity. Now make no mistake, Parker is writing pop songs or should I say crafting pop masterpieces. A self proclaimed fan of 'Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue' fan, Parker does justice to the pop tracks albeit on an experimental mold.

It would be interesting to know how Tame Impala would top this perfect piece of music.

---

Standout Track:  Let It Happen

The opening track "Let It Happen" sets the standard for the entire album and introduces the listener to the seething tension and confusion as Parker sings about letting things take their natural course in his signature silver tinged voice. Everybody has to make a choice at some point of time and choosing to let go of the past is not very easy.

In the first verse he sings about ignoring his inner voices that latch on to his past and he wants relinquish, “It’s gonna feel so good”. However things change by the second chorus as he likens the change to a whirlwind which will forcefully take away everything with it but he will still hold on. But eventually he decides to let it happen. The quiet storm of confusion and regret is intervened by an electronic breakdown and a sublime string section. Now this part is what makes the song a standout track. Good music should speak more than words and this interlude is an apotheosis.

Parker's perfectionism seeps throughout the track. With lyrics that are surprisingly deep yet speak to everyone, state of the art production and talents that knows no bounds, Kevin Parker creates a masterpiece.

This ode to solidarity and metamorphosis is an exemplar of Kevin Parker's increasing prowess as songwriter, vocalist, producer and a perfectionist. After the Grammy nominated effort "Lonerism", we have been gifted with a beautiful emotive album that speaks to everyone at deeply personal level. It has been inspired by heartbreak but it will make you leave your house and seek a new meaning of life.

Author's Note

Please ignore the typos