Lonerism

Tame Impala

It took me a while to catch on to Tame Impala. I remember a time in which Elephant appeared to be inescapable; having been included in so many commercials and films. It got to the point where I couldn't go on living without knowing who was responsible for bombarding me with this song. "Who the hell is this?" I threw out upon hearing those ever familiar guitars in the middle of some movie. My partner at the time immediately replied as if Tame Impala was just common knowledge. Not very often do I feel on the outside of the music conversation, but in this moment I certainly did. Soon after, I went to my toxic record store job, threw on Lonerism and was transported to a vintage, colourful, and dreamy world that I found very pleasant.

The element that immediately grabbed me was the drums. I imagine the recording on the technical side being quite modest; minimal microphones, unorthodox muffling, and an aged kit. And yet, it sounds high-definition with how every little detail can be heard. I love how you can hear the endless cascade of snare, tom, and rim hits that make up a good chunk of the drum groove on Mind Mischief, or the way the snare sizzles on the rolls in Elephant. Not only are the drum sounds great, but Kevin Parker is also an incredibly tasteful drummer. He demonstrates great chops while making sure that every moment perfectly fits what the song needs.

This attention to detail is of course extended to the rest of the instrumentation as well, leading to many memorable moments. The way the drums stutter and rev up leading into rich synthesizer chords on the album's opener, Be Above It, is pure bliss. Then there's the chorus of Music to Walk Home By where the flanged guitars duck and swell, like an auditory mirage on a swelteringly sunny day. Parker's descending vocal melody during this section is pretty standout too. Also, we can't talk about amazing tone and production without mentioning Elephant once again. The guitar tone is so fat and upfront, easily the most direct the guitars will sound across this whole record. I would say it's pretty iconic at this point. The sound and the riff are instantly recognizable, instantly engaging; it's perfection.

I will admit though, coming back to this record after awhile made me see a few things in a new light. Things I'm not so much a fan of. Generally, I like Parker's vocals, especially when he exaggerates these syrupy slides between notes. However, I find myself catching moments where his vocals are maybe a little too off-key to afford a pass. Sun's Coming Up is the example I would point to. His vocal performance here is pretty shaky and unaided by the lack instrumental layers to cover up some of those blemishes. Another thing I'm not to crazy about at times is how saturated moments on this record can be with all the time and modulation effects. Sometimes it becomes too much, the balance in the mix gets lost and I'm starting to hear grating noise. The last thing I would say - and I guess this always irked me - the placement of Keep On Lying is a little unfortunate. It's this six minute jam that's just okay - maybe a little patience testing - sandwiched between arguably the album's two best and most gratifying songs (Feels Like We Only Go Backwards and Elephant). I hate skipping tracks when listening to full albums, but the urge to press 'next' is quite strong.

Even though I don't love it as much as I think I used to, I still really like this record. Getting reacquainted with it made me long for the light and warmth of summer. The dreamy aesthetic also gives me a taste of living in a simpler time, taking my mind off the toxic Canadian politics that has been infesting my brain as of late. At this point, I'm sure Tame Impala is no secret to just about everyone these days, but if there is a chance that you haven't heard Parker's take on psychedelic rock revivalism, then go give this one a shot. If you need any more reason, someone just so happens to be celebrating their tenth anniversary later this year.