By Steven Ruiz
Staff Writer
Tame Impala’s fourth studio album “The Slow Rush” came out on Valentine’s Day. This new album is Kevin Parker’s journey through time. From the funky drumming to the smooth synths, this album is one of the most polished and smooth Tame Impala albums yet. The songs are heavily inspired by soft rock and disco, but it still has its psych roots.
The album is deep in time. Parker’s lyrics reminisce about the past and his “crazy” decisions, such as buying a house in Miami and getting married. This album goes deeper into Parker’s mind. He talks about forgiveness, loss, and about being lost.
Parker is one of the most influential music artists of the century. A multi-instrumentalist, music producer and frontman of Tame Impala, he is one of the most well-rounded music creators of the century. Parker’s band Tame Impala is his sole creation. He writes, records, and produces everything, with little compromise. Tame Impala’s newest album was released on Feb. 14, 2020.This album is the newest album since “Currents,” which was released in 2015.
“Patience” was released on March 22, 2019, as a single. The song peaked on the U.S. Hot Rock Billboard at tenth. This was the first track released by Tame Impala since their 2015 album “Currents.”
“Patience” is a psych-disco song, heavily inspired by 1970s disco. The song heavily uses the piano as the main instrument throughout the whole song. However, the track didn’t make it on the new album. Parker said that the song just didn’t fit right.
The lyrics are about his hiatus from making music. He states that in the first stanza, “Has it really been that long?” He references being back at step one because he’s been absent for so long.
Parker talks about his fans wondering where he’s been via his lyrics. “They would ask me all the time / every time the show’s up/ ‘so what you doin’ with your life.”
The song is about his absence from making music and the title reflects what he wants his fans to have; he wants a little “patience.”
The next single to be released shortly after was “Borderline.” This song was released on April 12, 2019. Both of these songs debuted on SNL on March 30, 2019. Both of these songs reached a combined total of over 8 million views on YouTube.
Parker changed “Borderline” for the album release. He shortened the song by 35 seconds, which makes it more packed and punchy. The bass has been raised so it’s more prevalent throughout the whole song. This raised bass gives the song a smooth punchy groove. You can faintly hear a train in the background after he says the lyrics “like a train.”
The fourth track on the album is “Posthumous Forgiveness.” This song is a song about Parker missing his dad. He had a very close relationship with his dad and lived with him after his parent’s divorce when he was 12.
The lines, “I wanna tell you ‘bout the time, wanna tell you ‘bout my life/ wanna play you all my songs” is talking about how he wants to tell his dad all the things he’s done.
His dad never saw him reach fame. His dad died of skin cancer while Parker was making his first album.
The sixth song on the album is “Tomorrow’s Dust”. This song is about memories and living in the past. The very first lyric, “There’s no use trying to relate/ to that old song” is about him not trying to make the same thing with his music. He wants to keep making different music, music that moves forward in time, not backward.
The song starts with bongos and a bouncy drum beat that leads into an acoustic guitar. The sounds fill your head and make you want to move. The synths kick in after about a minute into the song, complementing the beat and flow. The song is definitely a work of art and a standout track on this new album.
The album ends with the track “One More Hour.” This song is a seven-minute masterpiece that captures your attention throughout the whole song. The song starts with a bouncing piano, drum accents and lyrics. The song then leads into a crashing, punching rhythm. The lyrics are about how in the past his motives were fun and love. He’s reminiscing about the past and also looking forward to the future. He happily anticipates being alone or spending time with his wife.
Overall, this album is a big step forward for Tame Impala. The rhythms, the beats, and the composition of the album are smooth and absolutely perfect. The theme of the album fits so well with the lyrics, and it makes us all feel that we need to keep moving forward and not get “Lost in Yesterday.”
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