{"product_id":"tame-impala-currents","title":"Tame Impala - Currents","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e— The Analog Vault \/\/ Essential Listening —\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKevin Parker reframed psychedelia for the mainstream on \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e, pivoting Tame Impala from fuzzed-out guitars to gleaming synth-soul and precision pop. Parker wrote, performed and produced the entire record, layering elastic bass, side-chained drums and shimmering harmonies into widescreen compositions. “Let It Happen” unspools like a self-remixing suite, while “The Less I Know the Better” distills heartache into a stadium-size groove. Originally released in 2015, the album chronicled change with diaristic candour, aligning theme and form. Sweeping year-end lists and Australia’s ARIA Awards, \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e remains one of the decade’s defining psych-pop statements. — \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/theanalogvault.mom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eThe Analog Vault\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly every song on \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e is a statement of leader Kevin Parker’s range and increasing expertise as a producer, arranger, songwriter, and a vocalist. Parker is writing pop songs here, and doing them justice, and \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e is the result of a supernaturally talented obsessive trying to perfect music.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter two Tame Impala albums that centered on Kevin Parker’s withdrawal from society, he has entered the stream of life on \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e. And he’s lonelier than ever. The bemused, occasionally melancholy isolation that defined Innerspeaker and Lonerism has metastasized into heartbreak, bitterness, regret—feelings that can actually kill you if left untended. This is a breakup record on a number of levels—the most obvious one being the dissolution of a romantic relationship, but also a split with the guitar as a primary instrument of expression and even the end of the notion that Tame Impala is anything besides Kevin Parker and a touring band of hired guns. Because of these shifts, the question of whether Currents is better than his first two albums is beside the point: It stands completely apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e is the result of many structural changes, most of which exchange maximalist, hallucinatory swirl for intricacy, clean lines.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNearly every proper song on \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e is a revelatory statement of Parker’s range and increasing expertise as a producer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist while maintaining the essence of Tame Impala: Parker is just as irreverent working in soul and R\u0026amp;B as he is with psych-rock. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/pitchfork.com\/reviews\/albums\/20578-currents\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ePitchfork\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e—\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStarting their career as psychedelic explorers, the Australian band Tame Impala spent a decade subverting expectations and mutating their sound in fascinating ways, as well as being an inspiration to musicians as diverse as \u003c\/span\u003eUnknown Mortal Orchestra\u003cspan\u003e and \u003c\/span\u003eLady Gaga\u003cspan\u003e. Guided by the musical prowess of \u003c\/span\u003eKevin Parker\u003cspan\u003e, the band's 2010 debut album,\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eInnerspeaker\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, was a huge, loud guitar rock album dipped in swirling psychedelic colors. The follow-up, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLonerism\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003e(2012), dialed down the guitars in favor of a more expansive style, after which \u003c\/span\u003eParker\u003cspan\u003e swerved into a poppier sound that brought in hip-hop (2015's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) and disco influences (2020's \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Slow Rush\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e) while upping the sugar content of the hooks.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn addition to the soft rock of the '70s feel that permeates the sound, Parker adds elements of R\u0026amp;B and hip-hop to the mix, gets lyrically introspective in spots. Parker's prowess as a producer and musician makes \u003cem\u003eCurrents\u003c\/em\u003e a standout. The record has swept a number of categories at the 2015 ARIA Awards, including Best Album, and was once again nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2016 Grammys. — (via \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/currents-mw0002848644\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eAllMusic\u003c\/a\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ciframe width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" style=\"border-radius: 12px;\" data-testid=\"embed-iframe\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/79dL7FLiJFOO0EoehUHQBv?utm_source=generator\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e↓\u003cbr\u003eLabel: Fiction Records, Caroline International\u003cbr\u003eFormat: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, Repress, Gatefold\u003cbr\u003eRepress: 2024 \/ Original Release: \u003cspan\u003e2015\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGenre: Rock, Electronic\u003cbr\u003eStyle: Indie Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Synth-pop\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFile under: TAV Essential Listening\u003cbr\u003eFile under: Alternative \/ Indie \/ Pop\u003cbr\u003e⦿\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fiction Records","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45358492418206,"sku":"602547306777","price":55.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0584\/5434\/3838\/files\/91mp9eEux-L-_UF1000-1000_QL80.jpg?v=1745397857","url":"https:\/\/theanalogvault.mom\/products\/tame-impala-currents","provider":"The Analog Vault","version":"1.0","type":"link"}