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Album of the Week: Tame Impala, 'The Slow Rush'

Tame Impala, 'The Slow Rush'
Tame Impala, 'The Slow Rush'Courtesy of Modular Recordings
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by Jill Riley

February 17, 2020

The Current's Album of the Week is the much-anticipated new album from Tame Impala, The Slow Rush.

Tame Impala is the studio project of Australian musician Kevin Parker. He really does everything – the writing, the playing, the producing, he's a one-man studio rat. In some ways, I compare him to a psychedelic mad scientist in the studio. I imagine Parker is then left to solve the problem of recreating the sound of his songs on the road, which he does with the help of a full touring band.

The Slow Rush is the first new record since 2015's album, Currents, so that's what I mean when I say highly anticipated. In 2019 Tame Impala headlined Coachella and played two sold out shows, locally, at Surly Brewing Festival Field. I found myself very surprised at how popular Tame Impala had become. I tend to get lost in my own "The Current bubble" at times, but clearly the word had gotten out, outside of Australia, where Tame Impala was already breaking out and highly regarded. Last Spring, two new songs were released as singles, "Patience" and "Borderline", along with a performance on Saturday Night Live. That kind of activity from Tame Impala sparked plenty of speculation and excitement for an announcement of a new album – which was confirmed last Fall.

This summer, Tame Impala is headlining Bonnaroo. The tour is making a Twin Cities stop at the Xcel Energy Center on July 17.

The Slow Rush is exactly what I would expect from Tame Impala, I'm not calling it predictable, just a good fit to the formula. It's psychedelic, layered, swirly and dreamy. If anything, Kevin Parker has moved even further into exploring and incorporating dance, electronic and pop influences, which may explain the growing number of fans and mass appeal. It's easy to push play on the album and get lost in the sonic environment, you don't even have to dose your tea to appreciate the creative mind of Kevin Parker.

The Slow Rush highlights: "Borderline," "It Might Be Time," "Posthumous Forgiveness," and "Lost in Yesterday".