For many people, Tame Impala's third album, Currents, was the most anticipated record of the year by a landslide. After generating extraordinarily massive critical acclaim for their first two psych-rock projects, Innerspeaker and Lonerism, Kevin Parker and his accomplices have returned with a sound that's celestial, disco-infused, synth-laden, and a total departure from the Aussie group's previous work. By ditching their old sound for an even more risky and unconventional one, they've put everything on the line with Currents, and, to our great joy, they've absolutely nailed their different approach. Tame's new sound is largely inspired by a euphoric experience Parker had while he was on mushrooms and cocaine, riding around Los Angeles while listening to the Bee Gees, and we wouldn't expect any less bizarre of an experience to inspire such a ground-breaking sound. Parker's outer-worldly creativity and well-known meticulosity shine through every song on the project, so don't be surprised if Currents induces a feeling of overwhelming awe. Additionally, Currents certainly feels like Parker's most honest record yet, especially from a songwriting perspective. Although his breakup with Melody Prochet of Melody's Echo Chamber greatly inspired the album, he still insists that it's more about changing and moving on than simply breaking up. Songs like "'Cause I'm a Man" and "Love/Paranoia" dive deeper into his thoughts and feelings than ever before, and the resulting work is potently emotive. Tame Impala have produced yet another spectacular masterpiece with Currents, and you can stream it in full on NPR now and/or pre-order it on iTunes ahead of its July 17 release.
Tame Impala