Graphic by of Vivian McPherson ’23
Tame Impala’s new album cover depicts the eerie effects of time.
BY TISHYA KHANNA ’23
Tame Impala released their vibrant new single “Lost in Yesterday,” on Jan. 8, 2020. The song will appear on their upcoming album, “The Slow Rush,” and presents what may be the theme of the album: reflecting back on the passing of time. This release marks four years since Tame Impala’s last album.
Earlier last year, Kevin Parker, known as Tame Impala, released the single “Patience,” experimenting with bongos and electronic psychedelia. Parker is known for his out-of-the-box approach to music, and with this track, he laid high expectations for fresh new sounds on his new album, though “Patience” will not appear on “The Slow Rush.”
Shortly after, he released another single, “Borderline,” an upbeat, catchy and modern track in his classic Tame Impala style of experimental psychedelic rock. “Borderline” will appear on his upcoming album.
Both the songs somewhat represent Parker’s life with his big break after his album, “Currents.” “Borderline” echoes a glamorous life and the anxiety that comes with it and “Patience” stated “I’m just growin’ up in stages/Livin’ life in phases.”
A few months ago, Tame Impala unveiled the next two singles of the album: “It Might Be Time” and “Posthumous Forgiveness.” While the bland lyricsand music of “It Might Be Time” don’t meet the bar the band has set for themselves, the emotions of “Posthumous Forgiveness” gets them back on track with lyrics dedicated to the loss of a loved one and progressive mid-melody changes.
After the release of “Lost In Yesterday,” the theme of the album somewhat comes together — the past decade has been the height of the popularity for the band, and it’s unsurprising that Parker would choose to reflect on the years past for his much-awaited new music.
The album art is cryptic yet iconic with its vibrant colors and surrealism, represented through empty rooms, a desert within, a picture of Parker with a drink and different shades of blue and red.
“Lost in Yesterday” is probably the most upbeat and catchy song that he has released yet. While the twisted lyrics and theme — “Now even though that was a time I hated from day one/Eventually, terrible memories turn into great ones,” — reaffirm the Tame Impala vibe, the melody entails a commercialization of their music. The band is sticking to its brand of psychedelic rock, but over the years, considering the new singles, their music has become more modernized and shaped to fit a larger audience.
The music video of the single also doesn’t meet their early standards — repeated scenes of a mundane 70s wedding portrays huge downfall from the creative videos they’ve released in the past.
“The Slow Rush” is much awaited and will be released on Feb. 14.
The band will be touring across the world in 2020, with legs in North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Parker told Billboard, “I [had] told myself that all I wanted to do was put out an album, and I didn’t care if it wasn’t as good. I was happy to sacrifice quality for timing.” He continued, “[but] I just knew in my heart that it wasn’t ready.”
Tame Impala has set a high standard for themselves. I hope they keep the audience-loved experimental psychedelic rock that the band is known for, and do not switch to “basic” sounds for the sake of their popularity.