To anyone who likes rock music, pop music, good music, or all of the above: listen up. For anyone who can’t resist a good bass line, who falls head over heels for looping riffs and innovative use of pedals, for pop melodies that are simultaneously ethereally-generated dreamscapes and filled with catchy, smart hooks, for anybody that can appreciate the intricacies of a finely-tuned, meticulously-crafted work of art, have I got the most perfect thing for you.
Here it is, presented in the form of a 30-year-old musician from Perth, Australia. His name is Kevin Parker, and I’m honestly surprised that it’s not a household name by now. He is best known for being the lead singer and, well, lead everything for the band Tame Impala (one of my all-time favorites; more on that later). Tame Impala, while an incredible musical act, aren’t particularly as well-known around the world as many of its contemporaries who are similar in sound. This is speaking in terms of scale, and in comparison to Popular Music charts, and even Alternative Rock charts (which, admittedly, are softening up a bit more on acts with the “indie” sound of Tame Impala and similar counterparts).
And, get this. Kevin Parker not only writes the lyrics and composes the music, he records the majority of it, and takes care of all the other aspects of production for Tame Impala’s music (with the exception of Currents, where he literally was a one-man-band and recorded every instrument as well as handling all the production aspects). He has so far released three studio albums under his Tame moniker: "Innerspeaker" from 2010, a fuzzy-reverb-laden haven that takes its time in being consumed; "Lonerism" from 2012, with its paranoid, often introspective lyrics and trademark pedal manipulation that has since garnered Tame Impala with an association to psychedelic- and stoner-rock (though Parker has stated he doesn’t quite share the same sentiment); and his most recent efforts "Currents," released in July 2015.
"Currents" stands as Tame Impala’s most accessible album to date, if not also Kevin Parker’s seemingly most daunting work to make. He has stated that it became extremely overwhelming to make the album, citing tendencies for perfectionism and obsession as reasons why. The album profoundly draws upon other types of music to bolster its sonic palette. Sometimes woven beneath a few primary layers, tucked in right underneath, and other times scattered overtly about the piece are influences from genres such as pop, electronic, R&B, and dance music. Particularly prominent is the pop styling of many of the songs’ melodies (“Disciples,” “The Less I Know the Better,” “New Person, Same Old Mistakes”). Parker has also just been confirmed to have worked on Lady Gaga’s upcoming new single, which is also a collaboration with prolific producer Mark Ronson. Coincidentally, this is not the first collaboration between Parker and Ronson, as the two worked together on three tracks from Ronson’s "Uptown Special" from 2015.
While it strays slightly from the trademark formula, "Currents" is filled more with synthesizers and dance-oriented beats than with the crazy guitars and the looping of its predecessors. Thematically, it deals with personal transformation, with peeling off your skin and allowing someone to see your insides, no matter how grotesque they may look. Much of Parker’s lyrics on the album deal with relationships and with the fact that relationships will expose more of you than you thought possible, whether in a good way or bad. Some of the prime examples of that kind of lyricism, and some of my favorite tracks off the album, are “Love/Paranoia,” “‘Cause I’m A Man,” “The Moment,” and “Yes, I’m Changing.”
“I may not be as honest as I ought to be,” croons Parker in the opening lines of “Love/Paranoia” (which I ritualistically listen to at least once a day), before dropping into a face-slamming synth-beat with vocal layering abundant in the background. Additionally, the track “The Less I Know The Better” Parker has said shouldn’t be on the album because it has a "dorky" disco vibe to it. But that’s actually what makes the song, and other of the album’s tracks, so memorable: the fact that maybe it seems slightly out of place, but it provides something fresh and new, always striving for (and achieving, if the album as a whole work is anything to judge by) the perfect meeting of influences. The novelty of this album has still not worn off. The instrumentation, unlike the band’s first two albums, has the bass acting as a rhythm guitar, carrying the heaviest weight of it all.
It seems almost erroneous to call "Currents" a rock album. It clearly holds so much so close to it, cradling right in its arms its mass of inspirations: ingredients, a dash of this, a sprinkle of that, all culminating in an end product that sizzles with its own eclectic spice (I’m really sorry for the extended cooking metaphor, I had to see it through to the end).
As previously stated, if you’re a fan of music, I really believe you can take something away from this introduction. Whether it’s discovering a new sound, broadening your range, or even simply knowing that there’s someone out there who cares about music (and the way it’s made) as much as you do, and someone who shares that love and passion, because honestly, right now, we need it—as long as it’s something positive. On a personal note, my goal was to introduce at least one new person to another great one. I am such a fan of Tame Impala, and Kevin Parker individually, because not only is the music itself absolutely, mind-shatteringly amazing, but there’s something so intriguing about mixing together genres and sounds one normally wouldn’t think would work together. There’s something fascinating about a musician who is willing, and eager, to challenge the tropes and stereotypes of contemporary music today.
Endlessly impressive is Parker’s ability to mold something exclusive and unique, to build something new from previously used, and, at times, overused, parts, and his desire to share that with others. It seems to be a page we could all take out of his book.
