Yes We're Changing
Tame Impala-Currents
7.5/10
What the hell is the big deal with Tame Impala? The band has been everywhere lately, especially on my facebook page. Everyday it seems like a see a new article detailing the inner workings of the mind of frontman Kevin Parker. While this can get annoying, I have nothing but respect for the band. Kevin is certainly an extremely hard worker, and their it really shows in their music. They've never really made something that has wowed me, but honestly I had plenty of reason to be excited for this album. Their work has been continually improving, and some of the singles for this album really clicked for me. Let It Happen is a musical journey which features irresistible synth lines and a nice bass groove as well. This song definitely goes through many cool changes throughout the song, but I really like how that synth motif really is present throughout pretty much the entire track. The song is long, but it goes through enough different sections/layers that it doesn't feel stale. Disciples was the extreme opposite of this song. That song was short and a little more basic in structure, but honestly Parker's bubble-gummy singing is no less charming on this track than it is on the former track. This comparison says a lot about this album as a whole. Throughout many of the different sounds and textures on this album, Tame Impala's sound remains close to their roots and relatively intact. While Currents certainly sees a shift away from the band's more psych-rock sound, it also really still feels like a Tame Impala record. Kevin Parker and company are still providing excellent basslines, hard hitting drums, and in my opinion even better hooks than usual. So to say this album is album is a change in current would be correct, but if it is a hard pill for you to swallow, I really don't quite understand.
I bet you guys think I'm about to kiss Kevin Parker's ass, and give this thing a 9, but honestly, even with my respect for Kevin, I still wasn't really blown away by this record or anything. To me Currents is just another improvement for the band, and if the band keeps this up, I will probably EVENTUALLY (song pun) love one of their projects. Before I get into the highlights, lets just get the real bad stuff out of the way. One thing this album really suffers from to me is its pretentiousness. To me Kevin always is trying to say something important, but honestly I feel like the way he says things is just pretty much the easy way out. Perhaps this is most evident on track 4: Yes I'm Changing. This track is kind of a middle finger to all the people who will hate the "new" Tame Impala synth driven sound, which is honestly a cool route to go down, but for every intelligent and witty lyric Kevin will write, he write another line that is just cliche and gross. "They say people never change, but that's bullshit, they do" has to be the most cliche lyric I've heard on an album all year. The lack of specific real life, personal lyrics on this track is really a bummer because honestly the message was cool, and the instrumental was ok, but Kevin simply is not interesting on this track. Past Life is also a warbled mess. Whoever thought that computer automated voice was a good idea needs to be smacked. The voice just gets annoying, and honestly that mundane voice combined with just a bland instrumental makes a pretty terrible track. This record also occasionally does feel a little too samey as well. While the end of this record is very strong, it is also extremely similar. Reality In Motion, Cause I'm a Man, Love/Paranoia all kind of use this airy synth and high pitched vocal formula that really is not a huge problem, but when you hear this on over 75% of the record, it does start to become annoying. This is why tracks such as Less I Know The Better and New Person, Same Old Mistakes feel so good. These tracks really are not the best on here, but within the scope of the album they feel a little more fresh after hearing a kind of formulaic sound repeated a lot. Despite the sound being somewhat formulaic, there is more than enough musical moments to make the tracklist interesting. Eventually really feels like a beautiful combination of both synth and rock sounds, and its hook is honestly so catchy, how could you not love it? Nangs is a really twisty-turny interlude that just feels really refreshing, especially after the barn-burner that is Let It Happen. The Moment features some really cool drums over an unbelievably funky bassline. Plus this song really feels passionate. Parker really digs in with his vocals on this one. Also I love the layering of extraneous vocals, synths, and guitar parts. This song is definitely the closest thing to a mind blower on here for me. Less I Know The Better turns a hard nosed bass riff into a sweet song which was a pretty deceptive trick, and Cause I'm a Man is just an absolutely crazy atmospheric tune. That tune really makes the listener just lose their head in the music. It is so hazy, but at the same time so involved. I think that actually the whole album is pretty atmospheric, which I will certainly give it props for. I guess my biggest qualm about this thing is that there is no "wow" moment on here. Sure it's a catchy synth-pop record, but honestly nothing on here actually makes me pumped up or amazed. I will certainly listen to these songs a lot because they are fun and catchy, but when a record like this is hyped so much, it is hard not to expect big things. While this thing is certainly great ear candy, it is in no way remarkable. I still think this band has it in them, and this record is certainly a step in the right direction, but until they blow me away, I will always think of Tame Impala as prospects. Now it's just up to them if they are going to the next Jordan or the next Sam Bowie.
Best Tracks: Let It Happen, Nangs, The Moment, Eventually, Less I Know The Better, Cause I'm a Man, New Person Same Old Mistakes
Worst Tracks: Yes I'm Changing, Gossip, Past Life, Love/Paranoia
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