I've started to notice that I have never been much of a fan of classical rock or "oldies" in general. I know that this is a huge gaping wound in my taste in music, but hear me out. I'm relatively "new" to this whole music thing. This sounds completely retarded but I don't have too many memories of listening to music as a kid. However, the few scraps that I did retain from my father's library were in extremely good taste. The Clash, Kraftwerk, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, Billy Idol (well, at least I like him). My first independent musical experience was Christmas 2004, when I got my first iPod. It was a 20 gigabyte U2 model (black and red, very nice colors for an iPod). I gave my dad 10 bucks to put into his iTunes account so that I could pick out a few songs. Of course, I went straight to the top 10. My first two purchases were "Just Lose It" by Eminem and "In Da Club" by 50 Cent. I bet if I had strained my ears very hard back then I could've heard Joe Strummer curdling in his urn.
I digress. The point I suppose I'm trying to make is is that I don't really have any affinity or "sympathy" towards the heydays of rock-n-roll since I was a tasteless bastard growing up. It's not my fault! Another point I need to make is that music has staged a coup amongst my avocations, specifically video games. I find myself much more interested in finding new music and reading about it, to the degree that I used to feel about playing video games. For those who don't know, the video game critiquing system is much more focused on how state-of-the-art the object in question is. Unlike music, video games that play like ones from a generation (6-10 years) ago will not fly well with critics and players, whereas tunes that are evocative of the early aughts have the same chance of being as well accepted as songs that are more in with the times. Transitioning from valuing music as music from video game standards has been a little rocky, and without a doubt there have been bands that originally I didn't care for that when I revisited later after exploring around a bit I've liked exponentially more.
Thank you Big Dog. You understand my plight I suppose, but I could stand for a bit more reassurance. And those sunglasses make you look very standoffish.
Now, on to the album impressions (finally):
The reason all the preceeding text came about is due to Tame Impala's sound: it's psych-rock without a doubt, dizzily lumbering along through the lonely woods on a mad acid trip. You'll notice that nothing seems too unfamiliar or foreign here on Innerspeaker though. When I first heard singer Kevin Parker, something in the back of my head said "Oh hey, John Lennon's still alive". Nothing's new here with the boys that make up Tame Impala's trio, but they do it so damn well, that's more than alright.
The album itself is constructed wonderfully, each song being a vital and similar piece of the whole but unique it it's own rights. The scatting and warped guitarwork, ringing cymbals, and echo-drenched vocals are present all throughout the course, and instead of creating boring repetition, it instead invokes a beautifully surrounding soundscape. This is one of those albums where the cover art beautifully convey the feel of the album: the listener walks into the ever repeating wilderness as the seasons slowly and elegantly change and bend.
She doesn't like the life that I lead / Doesn't like sand stuck on her feet / Or sitting around smoking weed - Lyrics from opener It Is Not Meant To Be
Heartache is a definite theme of the album. It sounds like this seemingly relaxing journey of an album may be trying to create a distraction for the lovesick boys. Forming an ideal world without conflict and relationship issues seems to be what these musicians are trying to achieve, while dually grappling with the problems they have with their loves. Song titles like "Alter Ego" and lyrics from the shimmering single "Solitude is Bliss" such as "you will never come close to how I feel" convey the immense loneliness and confusion these sad souls feel.
Tame Impala have crafted something very hard to make, a fresh sounding record in a genre that may be all tapped out. However, their fantastic endeavors give me hope for them and their future releases. Taking lineage from greats such as the Beatles, Cream, and Led Zeppelin, they have made something that does not only pay homage to their forefathers, but also creates something youthful and progressive out of their influence. This Australian trio have severly impressed me, and I can only recommend getting Innerspeaker with posthaste and diving headfirst into it's audial glory.
Tame Impala's debut album, Innerspeaker, was released this week in Australia on Modular Recordings, but will be released on June 8th in the United States. They have previous recordings as well, namely their Tame Impala EP.
Listen to single "Solitude is Bliss" over at Modular
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