If you’re reading this article, you’re either well aware of Tame Impala, or you’ve never heard of them. Tame Impala started as a studio project by Australian artist Kevin Parker over five years ago. The young artist has a voice that can remind many of the legendary John Lennon. Sean Lennon, the son of the former Beatle, even approached Parker and told him he sounded just like his father!

Tame Impala’s first two projects dove into the world of psychedelic rock, bringing the genre back into popularity in the process. Their new project, titled "Currents," takes a complete left turn from Parker’s previous releases. Instead of gritty psychedelic rock, "Currents" focuses on synthesizers with cleaner guitar elements. According to a recent interview, Parker was inspired while listening to the Bee Gees during a long night of partying, and it clearly shows. While it’s different from his previous releases, this change is definitely for the better.

The album starts off with 'Let It Happen," a near 8-minute epic track that applies multiple elements from different genres (from EDM to Rock) to make a perfect song. As the album’s lead single, ‘Let It Happen’ is a song that will go down as one of Tame Impala’s finest. It was a perfect song to prelude Currents when it was released four months earlier. It describes the overall tone of the album at the same time.

While "Let It Happen" may be the driving force behind Currents, the album has many tunes that can be considered the best. From "The Moment" to "Reality in Motion," the album has memorable track after memorable track. The album itself has a lot more staying power than Tame Impala’s predecessors. While "Lonerism" and "Innerspeaker" have a handful of tracks that can be forgotten among the standouts, "Currents" goes straight through with every song having multiple replays.

The only track that sticks out like a sore thumb on "Currents" is a song called "Past Life." The song can remind you of something Kevin Parker would have made with Tyler, The Creator, using vocal effects to deepen his voice. While the album itself is a major shift for Tame Impala’s musical direction, this experimental tune goes a few steps too far and becomes the album’s only skippable track.

While a majority of "Currents" features rather upbeat music, the tone is rather deep and melancholy. The overall theme of the album is simply one word: Change. As "Currents" rolls along, we hear a changing Kevin Parker who is attempting to evolve in his love life. This is especially so in song’s like "Yes I’m Changing" and "New Person, Same Old Mistakes."

Another standout track on "Currents" is "Eventually," a track that puts a new spin on a typical breakup song. Instead of being the person being heartbroken by his lover, Parker is the one causing the pain. However, he’s pleading that what he’s doing is for the better, and that eventually things will be okay. The track comes off as one that can easily reflect his own life, and Parker has declared it his personal favorite track.

So is "Currents" an album worth listening to? It’s all about what type of music you’re into. Not everyone is going to love this album. However, if you’re a fan of Tame Impala, you are definitely going to like what you hear on "Currents." The album has the potential to be the best to come out in any genre this year, and definitely deserves Grammy attention. If you’re open to multiple genres of music, or want to try something new, this album is surely worth your attention.

Grade: A-