ALBUM REVIEW
Currents by Tame Impala
BY IDA SARENA G. GABAYA
Venture deeper into an electric-disco hybrid creation—Currents will take you into a psychedelic joyride with fuzzy dream-like beats that complement perfectly with the lush vocals of frontman Kevin Parker of the Australian indie-rock band Tame Impala. Currents is the third and much anticipated album of the band that was released on July 2015, which moves toward a different direction compared to their previous album in which the grooving psychedelic guitar riffs found on Lonerism are replaced instead by a myriad of synths and pinpoint production tweaks. The ‘70s inspired album cover by designer Robert Beatty is a visual representation of a vortex shedding, which he based from the reference images of sci-fi books and Czech film posters that Parker sent him. What sets Currents apart from Tame Impala’s other albums besides being more lyrical is that the music has something to tell—is it about self-reinvention; a breakup album in disguise? All 13 tracks break the barriers of electronic music, crossing between hazy late-night dance floor jams to slower paced groove harmonies. The opening track “Let It Happen” is the perfect introduction: from the foggy synths, the looping, and the electronic vocals to the familiar albeit brief return of an electric guitar. The song runs nearly 8 minutes long 64
THESPECTRUM
but is still full of surprises. Aptly titled, the passage is to just let things happen and accept change, which is one of the main themes of the album. The music video that was directed by David Wilson brings the lyrics to life, where a nervous man’s plane ride reaches him to oblivion, depicting scene by scene his escape from the airport to another unexpected destination, as the song centers on accepting life transitions. “The Moment” also has a strong resemblance with the first track “Nangs”. However, the former primarily accentuates living in the moment, as its first verse sings: “In the end, it’s stronger than I know how to be and I can’t just spend my whole lifetime wondering,” somewhat reaching out to its listeners that life does not come with a guarantee of second chances. The fourth track, “Yes, I’m Changing” comes out as a turning point for the entire album. Parker pours his heart out in the vocals, and it seems that he is narrating the loss of a lover but also a beginning of something new as he sings, “Life is moving, can’t you see? There’s no future left for you and me, I was hoping and I was searching endlessly but baby, now there’s nothing left that I can do.” But the plot twist to the album is the concluding track, the final song, “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” which contradicts change with self-doubt, as the album
REVIEWS
records a tough, painful sort of personal transition. Currents was awarded Best Rock Album and Album of the Year at the 2015 ARIA Music Awards and was nominated for “Best Alternative Music Album” in the 2016 Grammy Awards. Recently this November 17, Parker released Currents B-Sides & Remixes, an EP for the collector’s edition of the album, revealing three new songs and two remix version of the album’s tracks. S
