Lonerism
Australian musician Kevin Parker is a bit of a musical savant. Although Tame Impala tours as a band, the group\'s psychedelic trip-pop is pretty much due to Parker\'s writing, playing, and even producing. Parker sidekick and collaborator Jay Watson shares songwriting credit this time around, notably on two standout tracks: \"Elephant\" (an impossibly delectable blend of Sabbath stomp and Syd Barrett trippy-ness) and \"Apocalypse Dreams\" (a gorgeous, chameleonic tune that reflects Parker\'s noted influence, Todd Rundgren). And though it\'s hard to hear the opening \"Be Above It\" or \"Mind Mischief\" without detecting some *Revolver*- and *Sgt. Pepper\'s*–era Beatles in the songs\' DNA, *Lonerism* is loaded with more synthesizers and ambient sounds than guitars. It\'s definitely a more pop-oriented album than the crunchy *Innerspeaker*, and it reveals another compelling side to Tame Impala. (Check out Watson\'s other band POND, and its LP *Beard, Wives, Denim*, for another dose of satisfying psych-rock.)
Tame Impala's second full-length, Lonerism, will once again be compared to albums from the late 1960s and early 70s. But the project is exciting because, by maximizing the use of the available technology, it taps into the progressive and experimental spirit of psychedelic rock, and not just the sound.
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A real sonic feast, that balances an understated sense of melody with an ever-present groove.
Midway through "Nothing That Has Happened So Far," a bulldozer of sublime psychedelia on Tame Impala's sophomore LP, a mysterious voice emerges from the swirl: "You're thinking about everything, aren't you?" it asks, bathed in fuzz, as drums tumble wildly and electric guitars shiver with flange.
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Warning: Listeners are encouraged to first experience Lonerism with 2010’s Innerspeaker stricken from the mind. Only after 10 listens may the two albums be soberly compared.
ClashMusic.com - Read a review of the Tame Impala album 'Lonerism' featuring the single 'Elephant'. Released 8th October on Modular.
<strong>Alexis Petridis</strong>: Tame Impala's Kevin Parker seems every inch the pie-eyed psych-rock revivalist, but his music is fresh and exciting
Perth, Australia, is one of the most isolated metropolises on the planet. With the Indian Ocean to the west and desert in every other direction, it is over 2000 kilometers away from another major city. It also accounts for over ¾ of the population of the lightly inhabited Western Australia, by far the largest state in the country.
Tame Impala - Lonerism review: A familiar sound with only slight renovations. Lonerism lives up to the reputation of its predecessor and more.