Tame Impala's The Slow Rush
Kevin Parker is perhaps pop’s most unlikely superstar. Somewhere between the Mark Ronson collaborations and the rare honor of being covered by Rihanna, the one-man band responsible for the mainstream trends at work in psychedelic music decided to trade in his lysergic swirling guitars for synths. The Slow Rush continues the trends that Parker started on Currents and hinted at on Lonerism, further honing his natural propensity for groove with sleeker production and shimmering disco songcraft.
The production on The Slow Rush is luxurious, like diving into a pool of sound awash in the pitter-patter of electronics and bongo drums. The mix encourages you to lean in, as the best mixes always do. This is headphone listening, a record to be cranked on your best set of speakers as the sun sets on an evening spent lazing about alone.
The Slow Rush is an apt title for this set of songs, beginning with the pleasant but unmemorable pairing of “One More Year” and “Instant Destiny” before finally settling in to the memorable single “Borderline.” As the album continues to pick up steam, “Breathe Deeper” and “Tomorrow’s Dust” are undisputed highlights, indulging in the best of Parker’s instincts to deliver head bobbing, ever-changing ballads that bop with a minimalist funk similar to contemporaries like Unknown Mortal Orchestra. So all-enveloping have been the digital textures on the record that the acoustic guitar that enters at the beginning of “Tomorrow’s Dust,” as well as the clear, stark piano chords that buoy “On Track,” sound almost unnatural, like an imposter in the mix despite offering a welcome sonic contrast. The latter cut in particular features some of the vocal modulation and Ringo Starr-style drumming that have made earlier Tame Impala outings so pleasurable.
The Slow Rush is off to the races from here, propelled by the life-giving bass line on “Lost In Yesterday” and infectious disco groove of “Is It True.” The massive, thunderous drums, fuzzed-out guitar tones and cavernous reverb of “It Might Be Time,” another early single, prove another excellent musical counterpoint to the insular nature of the album’s sound. As if to poke fun at this notion entirely, “Glimmer” begins with a clip of Parker saying “It’s like oh, bass! You know how to make the bass better? Crank the bass up!” before returning to an effervescent, yacht rock-style funk noticeably absent any distortion.
I always look for an album to bookend its track list with some sort of thematic cohesion between its opening and closing tracks. The Slow Rush accomplishes that here, offering a summation of the musical journey we have just undergone with the confessionary tale of “One More Hour.” “I did it for love (All that I have) / I did it for fun (One more hour) / Couldn't get enough (All that I have) / I did it for fame (One more hour)” Parker sings. “But never for money” he is quick to point out. “Not for houses, not for her / Not for my future children / Until now.” This shift in priorities as Parker matures, not just as a songwriter and arranger, but as a person in the confusion of today’s world, hints that The Slow Rush may be yet another transitionary step in the evolution of Tame Impala; a project that is always changing, always moving forward.
With this in mind, The Slow Rush is a successful pop album on its own merits, but for fans of Tame Impala’s earlier projects in particular, it may leave some listeners searching for more past the glimmering pop soundscapes found here. There is no “Solitude Is Bliss,” “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” or “Yes, I’m Changing” here. Even still, the unhurried nature of this record is indicative of Kevin Parker’s growing mastery of his craft. On his fourth release, he continues to find new ways to bear his soul to his audience without losing them on the journey along the way. I am looking forward to repeated listens of this musical onion, peeling back new and different elements to marvel at each time.
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If you like The Slow Rush, check out:
KIN by Electric Guest
Skiptracking by Mild High Club
ASTROWORLD by Travis Scott
“At The Door” by The Strokes
Sex & Food by Unknown Mortal Orchestra