Currents is the third album from Perth, Australia’s psychedelic music project, Tame Impala. This album reaches its 10th anniversary this year, and it’s easily one of the most fascinating projects I’ve listened to in a while. The guy behind the writing, singing, recording, producing, and performing of the music, is a very talented individual by the name of Kevin Parker. He’s a multi-instrumentalist who plays the guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. It’s not uncommon to see musicians who have that talent, but it’s still impressive nonetheless. Parker has worked with artists all over the music industry such as Kanye West, Gorillaz, and Travis Scott, just to name a few. In addition, I will be reviewing two of his other records in the near future as they all reach the anniversary threshold that I use for my retro reviews. With all that being said, here are my thoughts on the record.
We start off the record with the lead single, “Let It Happen,” which has some seriously groovy instrumentation when it comes to guitar and synth riffs. Parker’s vocal delivery is echoey and hazy and really sells the lyrics of the track. The themes of the album are concentrated on aging, and personal growth. Things like adulthood and moving on from the past are heavily present in the lyrics on this track, and the variety of different psychedelic production on this track feels larger than life and operatic. The second half of the song lyrically is actually gibberish, but it creates a seriously fun vibe that you can’t just stop from bopping your head too. The second track, “Nangs,” serves as a moody interlude with wobbly synths and a repeated refrain of “But is there something more than that?” “The Moment,” has themes of mindfulness and just letting Mother Nature take its course. The lyrics on this track aren’t super complex, it’s all about the atmosphere the track creates with the production. I really like the effects Parker uses on his guitars, as well as the types of synths he incorporates, it creates this trippy almost dream-like experience for the listener where you feel as if you’re floating through a sea of clouds. “Yes I’m Changing,” is a phenomenal breakup song that comes from a perspective that is incredibly mature and reasoned. I love the songwriting of this track as well, with lines like, “I was raging, it was late. In the world my demons cultivate. I felt the strangest emotion but it wasn’t hate.” It’s a perfect example of a realistic portrayal of people in a relationship just growing apart and changing. I think I’m so used to hearing breakup tracks that are all about attacking the other person, or exposing them as a piece of shit, and like that’s fine, but it’s incredibly refreshing to hear something different than that cliché. “Eventually,” is another track discussing the breakup from the previous track but this time, the song covers Parker’s guilt and sadness he’s feeling in making a decision that he knows will hurt his girlfriend. The chorus is especially lovely, as the vocal harmonies make me ascend, and once again, Parker’s lyrics are grounded. The instrumentation portrays the melancholy and sadness that the end of a relationship can bring. After a second brief instrumental break, we reach the album’s most well-known single, “The Less I Know The Better,” it’s easily one of my favorite tracks on the album, even if Kevin Parker thinks it’s a dorky disco track. I don’t care it’s easily one of the best songs on the album, even if it’s not my favorite. I love the incorporation of funky guitar and bass loops, as well as the inclusion of a Rhodes piano. I like the lyrical premise of the track as it covers very real emotions people feel in a love triangle. “The less I know the better,” is very similar to the phrase “ignorance is bliss.” I like the lyrics, as simple as they are in lines such as, “She said, “It’s not now or never. Wait ten years, we’ll be together. I said, “Better late than never. Just don’t make me wait forever.” That passage is just so depressingly self aware and ironic, because like when a guy or girl really likes someone and they tell them to wait for them, the relationship won’t work. Here in the song, the protagonist is holding on to that pipe dream telling himself that she’ll come back for him. “Past Life,” might be one of the trippiest tracks on the record, as Parker speaks about how running into an ex makes him feel like he’s relieving his past live.” The 80s style synths paired with the downtempo drum beat create this very moody atmosphere. The deep voiced spoken word mixed with the lovely sung chorus create an interesting clash of emotions. “Disciples,” is quite a short track, but it serves as a nice transitory track into one of the other singles, “‘Cause I’m A Man.” This track has one of the smoothest bass riffs on the album, and I love the first line of the track, “Like the brutal morning sun. It dawns on me, what have I done?” Such a basic line but the analogy is just so perfect. The final three tracks help end the album strongly, and reinforce the albums central themes perfectly, I especially liked “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” which is the final track.
I’ve heard a lot of Tame Impala’s music sporadically, but having listened to this album multiple times, I can easily say it’s one of the best albums of the 2010s as every track is otherworldly and euphoric. There is no bad track on this record, as the instrumental composition, vocal melodies, and overall production of the album is practically flawless. It’s been five years since we’ve had a Tame Impala release and his last two albums being 2020’s The Slow Rush and this both released five years apart. Therefore, my hope is that Tame Impala’s next record comes out this year. If I had one complaint, it’s that some of the tracks feel a bit long at times, but the time flew by fast for me because I loved this album so much. In addition, considering that I listened to Ethel Cain’s dark ambient project earlier this week which features songs that over 10 minutes long, tracks like “Let It Happen,” and “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” really don’t feel that long. To sum things up, this record is a perfect modern psychedelic project that makes me excited for the future of the genre.
Overall Score: 10/10
Favorite Tracks: All of them especially, “Let It Happen,” “The Less I Know The Better,” and “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,"
Least Favorite Tracks: None
Genres: Psychedelic Pop/Neo-Psychedelia/Synth Pop/Psychedelic Rock