Too Tame?
It's been five years since Tame Impala's previous excellent album, 'Currents', so the latest album has been eagerly anticipated.
Kevin Parker has been in demand ever since 'Currents' and has written songs with a variety of artists and also been involved as producer on a number of albums, so he's not exactly been resting. Back in March 2019 the first new song emerged, 'Patience', which seemed to augur well for what was expected later in the year.
'Patience' is a funky ballad which wouldn't have sounded out of place on 'Currents', though it did up the disco/dance vibe a notch or two, but I'm cool with that. It certainly upped the anticipation for the new album - so far, so good.
This was followed up in April by 'Borderline' which came as something of a surprise. How so? Weeeell, as songs go, this was pretty limp. I listened to it over and over in the hope of finding something, but found an empty centre with no heart.
Then, not long after that, rumours started to appear that the new album was delayed and wouldn't appear in 2019 after all. Suggestions that he'd abandoned what he'd originally written and started again appeared in the music press. Then sometime in the latter part of the year the new album was announced, titled 'The Slow Rush' and scheduled for release on the 14th February 2020.
Around the time the album would have been released, October 2019, another single was released, 'It Might Be Time', and this set the pulse racing again: a cool meditation questioning whether maybe you've lost it and are past your sell by date. Supertramp overtones notwithstanding, a fine single that promised good things would be delivered by the album.
Set against the positive vibes that 'It Might...' engendered, were nagging doubts creeping in about the album. Initially, when the album was announced, the only track definitely on the album was 'Borderline' (save us pleeease), then when 'It Might...' was released, that was added into the track list, but no sign of 'Patience' which certainly delivers the knockout blow to 'Borderline', and given its subject matter should surely fit into an album with time or the passage of time as part of its theme?
Come January 2020 another single was released, 'Lost in Yesterday', which wasn't bad - certainly way better than 'Borderline' which is an execrable pile of dingo's crap (and still is), but a little but bloodless compared to the other two singles.
Oh well, come the day, we'll find out...
Friday 14th February came around and the album duly arrived, ready for the big reveal. Before I go any further I should let you in on a secret: when I was at University back in the days of vinyl and steam-cranked record players, a friend, who was also a big music fan, said he never played an album the day he got it, but would always wait a week or so, so that the music didn't fail under the weight of expectation. This is something I still try to do today, though of course nowadays you can hear an entire album on Spotify, YouTube, wherever, and you can always try before you buy (something else I almost always do, though of course it can't be applied to everything in your life, in case you're wondering).
Like all rules, there have to be exceptions and there are a few artists who I'll buy the latest album from, without hearing it all, that is, of course, until they let you down, which inevitably they all do. They settle down. They get married. They get comfortable. They get money, loads of it maybe. They discover Jesus. They kick the booze or whatever other demon drives them. Often, though not always, the thing that made them write good songs, their muse, gets lost until they find it again, if they're really good, or for good, if they burnt fast and bright, with nothing left to give.
Now, before continuing that line to where you all know it's going, I should also say that 'The Slow Rush' has been greeted with almost unanimous praise in the music press - generally four-star / 8 out of 10-style adulation. It would not be unrealistic to expect something pretty damn good after all that hype.
The scene was set: me and the stereo, time to settle back and listen to the album and be moved. First listening came and went and I thought, 'gonna have to give this a few more plays', as I was underwhelmed to say the least.
Several listens later a more measured view has emerged, but I have to say I'd struggle to give it more than three stars / 6 out of 10. Here's why...
I now know why 'Patience' isn't on the album: if it had been, it would really show up the paucity of ideas on much of the rest of it. The first five tracks just float by with barely a hint of a decent idea - even the track 'Posthumous Forgiveness' (nice title, shame...), which is song about his complex/troubled relationship with his father, doesn't really land for me. Maybe the words carry the emotion the subject is due, but the tune just ain't up to it, for me. Here is 'Posthumous Forgiveness' - make up your own mind.
The sixth track, 'Tomorrow's Dust', begins a trio of tracks that seem to capture the spirit of what the albums musings on time and the passage of it is grasping at, though this includes the single 'Lost in Yesterday'. One more decent song remains - the other single, 'It Might Be Time' before we finish with a couple more eight-day old lettuces.
The final track is titled, rather prophetically, 'One More Hour', and thankfully there isn't one more hour of this, as this song hammers that point home.
Before I walk off into the sunset chewing on limp lettuce, I should just make one thing clear: none of the music here is really bad, in a way it's worse than that, it's often just bland. There are lots of snippets of good ideas, they just don't stretch to full songs. Many of the songs have no heart, no soul, no passion. Maybe I'm expecting too much - he's certainly written better songs. Let me be clear, finally, my gripe is not the lack of guitars, nor the move away from psychedelia, nor the move into the dancey-disco area - I like that, it's just that most of the songs don't live up to the legacy. Lots of people seem to like it, but it just isn't for me. I haven't given up on Kevin Parker: he still is a major talent and great songwriter, but I won't be buying the next Tame Impala album, in 2025, without hearing it first.
Then, not long after that, rumours started to appear that the new album was delayed and wouldn't appear in 2019 after all. Suggestions that he'd abandoned what he'd originally written and started again appeared in the music press. Then sometime in the latter part of the year the new album was announced, titled 'The Slow Rush' and scheduled for release on the 14th February 2020.
Around the time the album would have been released, October 2019, another single was released, 'It Might Be Time', and this set the pulse racing again: a cool meditation questioning whether maybe you've lost it and are past your sell by date. Supertramp overtones notwithstanding, a fine single that promised good things would be delivered by the album.
Set against the positive vibes that 'It Might...' engendered, were nagging doubts creeping in about the album. Initially, when the album was announced, the only track definitely on the album was 'Borderline' (save us pleeease), then when 'It Might...' was released, that was added into the track list, but no sign of 'Patience' which certainly delivers the knockout blow to 'Borderline', and given its subject matter should surely fit into an album with time or the passage of time as part of its theme?
Come January 2020 another single was released, 'Lost in Yesterday', which wasn't bad - certainly way better than 'Borderline' which is an execrable pile of dingo's crap (and still is), but a little but bloodless compared to the other two singles.
Oh well, come the day, we'll find out...
Friday 14th February came around and the album duly arrived, ready for the big reveal. Before I go any further I should let you in on a secret: when I was at University back in the days of vinyl and steam-cranked record players, a friend, who was also a big music fan, said he never played an album the day he got it, but would always wait a week or so, so that the music didn't fail under the weight of expectation. This is something I still try to do today, though of course nowadays you can hear an entire album on Spotify, YouTube, wherever, and you can always try before you buy (something else I almost always do, though of course it can't be applied to everything in your life, in case you're wondering).
Like all rules, there have to be exceptions and there are a few artists who I'll buy the latest album from, without hearing it all, that is, of course, until they let you down, which inevitably they all do. They settle down. They get married. They get comfortable. They get money, loads of it maybe. They discover Jesus. They kick the booze or whatever other demon drives them. Often, though not always, the thing that made them write good songs, their muse, gets lost until they find it again, if they're really good, or for good, if they burnt fast and bright, with nothing left to give.
Now, before continuing that line to where you all know it's going, I should also say that 'The Slow Rush' has been greeted with almost unanimous praise in the music press - generally four-star / 8 out of 10-style adulation. It would not be unrealistic to expect something pretty damn good after all that hype.
The scene was set: me and the stereo, time to settle back and listen to the album and be moved. First listening came and went and I thought, 'gonna have to give this a few more plays', as I was underwhelmed to say the least.
Several listens later a more measured view has emerged, but I have to say I'd struggle to give it more than three stars / 6 out of 10. Here's why...
I now know why 'Patience' isn't on the album: if it had been, it would really show up the paucity of ideas on much of the rest of it. The first five tracks just float by with barely a hint of a decent idea - even the track 'Posthumous Forgiveness' (nice title, shame...), which is song about his complex/troubled relationship with his father, doesn't really land for me. Maybe the words carry the emotion the subject is due, but the tune just ain't up to it, for me. Here is 'Posthumous Forgiveness' - make up your own mind.
The sixth track, 'Tomorrow's Dust', begins a trio of tracks that seem to capture the spirit of what the albums musings on time and the passage of it is grasping at, though this includes the single 'Lost in Yesterday'. One more decent song remains - the other single, 'It Might Be Time' before we finish with a couple more eight-day old lettuces.
The final track is titled, rather prophetically, 'One More Hour', and thankfully there isn't one more hour of this, as this song hammers that point home.
Before I walk off into the sunset chewing on limp lettuce, I should just make one thing clear: none of the music here is really bad, in a way it's worse than that, it's often just bland. There are lots of snippets of good ideas, they just don't stretch to full songs. Many of the songs have no heart, no soul, no passion. Maybe I'm expecting too much - he's certainly written better songs. Let me be clear, finally, my gripe is not the lack of guitars, nor the move away from psychedelia, nor the move into the dancey-disco area - I like that, it's just that most of the songs don't live up to the legacy. Lots of people seem to like it, but it just isn't for me. I haven't given up on Kevin Parker: he still is a major talent and great songwriter, but I won't be buying the next Tame Impala album, in 2025, without hearing it first.
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