Australia's Tame Impala produces beautiful psychedelic-rock that all comes from God himself, Kevin Parker. Tame Impala, or just Kevin Parker, is my all-time favorite artist, and I thought I would share some groovy tunes KP has to offer. If you want to feel like you're floating into space or embrace your inner loner, listen to these trippy tracks:
1) "Let It Happen" / The first track on Currents, and my absolute favorite song, is a trip of its own with cosmic sounds and crashing guitar lines that are out of this world. Every time I finish listening, I find myself crashing back into reality out of a psychedelic blissfulness. “Let It Happen” has a sound that one can not identify completely. I feel as though Kevin Parker started it, scrapped it, then restarted again, and mashed all of his drafts together. There are so many transitions throughout just this song, that it transports you to another realm of your mind.
2) "Yes, I’m Changing" / Kevin Parker sings straight from the heart on this track that has really had an impact on my life. This beautiful song brought me to question where I was going in life and who I was taking with me. I think it’s all about the end of an era with a friendship or relationship and moving onto something new. This track has been so relevant in my life that it brings me to tears almost every time I listen. Everyone is always searching for more in their lives. This song itself is what Currents is all about: change. Some people get so deep into change that there’s no turning back, which is what happened to myself just this year. There’s something beautiful about it though, finding oneself for real is hard to achieve.
3) "'Cause I’m A Man" / Parker shows listeners that he’s clearly done some wrong to a woman in his life. He blames his wrongdoings on simply being a man. The wavy synths are once again beautifully played on this track. This song always has me grooving along with it’s misogynistic vibes.
4) "The Moment" / This track focuses on living life as it is and being there in the moment of everything. It focuses on doing something when the time is right, or at the right moment. This song is composed of optimistic synths and melodic drum beats that'll have anyone grooving.
5) "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" / From Kevin Parker's most recent record (and my favorite), Currents, this tune reflects on the part of him that he thought he left behind, but is still lingering. In my life, I have gone through a great deal of change, but find myself going back to old habits. The want to change and the fear of changing along with the unknown is brought to question on this track. It also reflects that everyone is human, and no one can be perfect no matter how hard they try. People always make mistakes, but that doesn’t mean they stop looking for something else.
6) "Mind Mischief" / An absolutely brilliant track from Lonerism, and one about getting one's hopes up. This track talks about finally getting somewhere in a relationship, but reflects on that doubt that one has when things get serious. I find the music on this track to be psychedelically blissful.
7) "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" / A joyful track that makes you feel okay about your relationships failing. The lyrics reflect on getting your hopes up, being let down, and trying to move on. I think this is a theme that a lot of people can relate to. The crashing synths along with drums just make this song all the better.
8) "Solitude Is Bliss" / A very melodic track from Tame's first album, Innerspeaker, this song epitomizes the message that Kevin Parker is always trying to convey. He is always bringing up the fact that he's lonely, but it seems as though he's trying to convince himself that it's okay. I think that's what a lot of people do: lie to themselves to them feel better. I've told myself countless times that solitude is bliss, and sometimes it is.
9) "Why Won't They Talk To Me?" / From Lonerism, this is a spacey track hinting at self-doubt, and one of the most relatable to those who have always felt left out. Trying to keep up a friendship/relationship is difficult when you're already as socially awkward as it is. It almost encourages listeners to move on from those friends who make them feel that self-doubt where they're always questioning, "Why won't they talk to me?"
10) "Alter Ego" / This jazzy, psychedelic tune is all about self-doubt, reflecting on the conflict of wanting to socialize and having a fear of rejection. This is something that a lot of people deal with, myself included.
