Tame Impala’s new album delivers slow-burning tracks

After five long years, Kevin Parker, also known as Tame Impala, returned to deliver slow-burning tracks that leave an impression of lost time.

“The Slow Rush” might not be as sonically adventurous as “Lonerism,” or even groundbreaking as “Currents,” but it’s an eclectic album that contains some of Kevin Parker’s most astonishing compositions, albeit with some inconsistent songwriting.

When Tame Impala first debuted with “InnerSpeaker” in 2010, they promised potential with their psychedelic rock grooves that were reminiscent of Pink Floyd and Cream, while sounding years ahead of their time.

Parker has proved himself one of the most important figures in alternative and indie rock of the 2010s, as “Lonerism” and “Currents” inspired many other bands that aimed for the same sound such as Beach Fossils, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and Pond.

“The Slow Rush” opens up with “One More Year,” a burning track that finds a harrowing vocal loop layered over the track, it sets the texture and context of the rest of the album. Parker does not choose to fight time but instead decides to embrace it, living to his fullest potential with whoever he speaks to on the track.

After the first track, “Instant Destiny” displays the weaker side of Parker’s singing, as the repetitive chorus of “I'm about to do something crazy, no more delayin', No destiny is too far” feels overwashed and stale. Tame Impala has always been known as a textured band, but their songwriting tends to suffer on “The Slow Rush” more than in any other album.

Some of the riskier tracks such as “Posthumous Forgiveness” and “Breathe Deeper” finds Parker dabbling in progressive rock with disco keys added, and they pay off immensely. However, tracks such as “Lost In Yesterday,” “Tomorrow’s Dust” and “One More Hour” feel half-baked, and not fully realized within the context of the album.

Another track that lacks a fully-realized composition is “Glimmer” as it’s the shortest track on the album, yet it has the most interesting music palette of any track on The Slow Rush.

Tracks such as “Is It True,” “On Track” and “It Might be Time” find Parker experimenting with industrial rock, groovy synths and disco to make songs beyond their genre. The aforementioned tracks find Parker at his most genius and breathtaking, and they truly embody the “try everything” motto of Tame Impala, and they stand tall as some of the best tracks from “Currents.”

“The Slow Rush” might have some inconsistencies throughout its challenging 57-minute run time, but there are some gems within its messy appearance. Tame Impala does not try anything drastically different on the album, but “The Slow Rush” is bound to resonate with hardcore fans and psych-rock enthusiasts.

3/5