Yes, it seems that over the last year or so Tame Impala has slowly but surely become a conventional hipster guilty pleasure, with inherently jumpy bass lines and his signature psychedelic twang.
Unfortunately, the Australian music project is often brushed aside by Indie lovers, deeming it ‘entry level’ in the ever-expanding Indie bubble. Much like Coldplay is to rock, Tame Impala is easily identified as the marmite of the Indie world.
Whilst scouring through his discography, and more importantly looking at his 2020 hit album The Slow Rush, you can somewhat understand why the ‘expert’ music lover will turn their nose up at Tame Impala. He falls under that classic cliche of most, if not every, song sounding the same, and having a couple songs which might be a few verses too long.
However, my retort to that is rather simple: as long as it sounds good - I don’t understand the issue with his songs sounding the same.
That’s not to say I dislike some of the multi-tonal projects displayed by the likes of, say, Gorillaz, or even the evolutionary, changing sound of the Arctic Monkeys.
But Tame Impala’s career has always prided itself on making fun, vibrant psychedelic hits - and as long as he keeps making them, Indie music will forever be indebted.
This is the creative mind behind some of Indie’s biggest hits. ‘The Less I Know The Better’, ‘Elephant’ and, a feature of his new album, ‘Lost In Yesterday’. They may all have a similar vibe, with their loose bass-heavy structure, but they also all sound fantastic.
To hone in on his recent project, some stellar singles, such as ‘Breathe Deeper’ and ‘One More Year’, steal the show for me. The layers to these tracks are unbelievable, with stellar mixing from Parker, and production quality off the charts. Quite literally, as the album managed to clinch #1 on Billboard’s US Top Alternative Albums, and #2 on Complex’s Best Albums of 2020, so-far.
However, the aforementioned Lost In Yesterday will be a guaranteed favourite for many, myself included. It’s a nice look back at the vibrant Currents-era Impala which I came to love, with his subtle nod forward to what the future may have in store. Many critics have viewed this album as a watershed moment in, not only his career, but his life.
Speaking to Here and Now, Parker stated, “Time moves quickly at any age, but becomes particularly rapid during moments that are ‘in-between’ chapters of your life. Life is like a piece of string, with a definitive start and end. We never really know where we are on that piece of string”.
And perhaps the best thing about Parker's music, highlighted by many fans, is that it ages like a fine wine. You could listen to it time after time, and pick up on subtle notes and structures which you would've have before.
While 2020 will be defined by most as the year of confusion, the light Indie delight which is The Slow Rush will provide some clarity, in the form of simple, yet effective, Indie beats.
