Tidbits: What’s In Store? Tame Impala, Lonerism
Originally Posted October 9th, 2012
…Huhhh, oh sorry. I just got lost in that last dreamy guitar hook... That’s something you’re going to find yourself saying frequently also, when you pick up your copy of Lonerism, by the Perth, Australia native Kevin Parker’s recording project Tame Impala . And I say “when you” because I have great faith that you actually will pick up this album, whether I tell you to or whether in a few months you're so sick of hearing about it on the indie rock scene that you have to see what the hype is all about. I recommend that you just get it now, since you can pick it up at The Record Exchange in DTF, and look a lot cooler when your friends ask if you have heard that Tame Impala band yet.
Kevin Parker has got to be the center of creativity in Australia right now; he’s like the Australian version of a young Spencer Krug with music leaking out of every pore and too many great side project bands to count. Not to stray too much, but you should check out Kevin’s prominent band Pond ( Live on KEXP ) also, who killed it this year at SXSW. Pond is kinda like a mirror reflection (where the image reverses) of the studio recordings of Tame Impala, very similar elements but looking from the rock direction, not so much the psych. Now that I got that hot nugg of info off my chest, let’s jump into my favorite psych album of the year.
So, what do most people who don’t like psych rock complain about? …the instrumentals are too dragged out, long, and boring… what are all those weird noises?... etc. You psych rock haters have no defenses against Lonerism! Think magical mystery tour, strip out the silliness, keep the pop hooks, keep the cute accented vocals, and power wash that submarine with melodies of guitar distortion. Now, you have Lonerism.
Winning point #1, Beatle’s reference.
Winning point #2, solid and relatable song writing.
Wining point #3, dreamy enough to be dreamy, but absolutely not boring.
Winning point #4, we all love lead singers with accents, doesn’t matter what accent (Mumford and sons? ‘nuff said).
Winning point #5, (Guitar + Distortion) ^A Lot = YES PLEASE.
And I could add, winning point #6 as the Spencer Krug reference above, but who’s counting? Here’s a video for the single Elephant on the new album, it’s everything a good single should be, but personally there are other moments in this album that make me much much happier. The beautiful dreamy explosion of Music to Walk Home By with happy little guitar hooks skipping along into the more mellow, yet up tempo Why Won’t They Talk to Me into the instant sing-a-long chill groove of Feels Like We Only Go Backwards into the initially stripped down Keep On Lying into when it opens up into guitar riff awesomeness at the end is really the meat of the album in my opinion. In fact it is the majority of album. The connection between songs is like the connected piece of one of those toy snakes that wiggles around. It’s not an album where you consider the pieces, you consider the whole. I’m excited about this album from head to tail, every time I listen.
It must be noted that Lonerism is Tame Impala’s second release, the first album; Innerspeaker doesn’t lead on to the stylings on Lonerism. Fans tend to love both albums however, just for different reasons. Sadly, Tame Impala isn't coming to Baltimore or DC anytime soon. The closest they will get is Philadelphia at the Union Transfer on 11/08/12. So support local, pick up your copy of Lonerism in store at The Record Exchange in downtown Frederick until Tame Impala makes their way to the Baltimore / DC metro area.
…Huhhh, oh sorry. I just got lost in that last dreamy guitar hook... That’s something you’re going to find yourself saying frequently also, when you pick up your copy of Lonerism, by the Perth, Australia native Kevin Parker’s recording project Tame Impala . And I say “when you” because I have great faith that you actually will pick up this album, whether I tell you to or whether in a few months you're so sick of hearing about it on the indie rock scene that you have to see what the hype is all about. I recommend that you just get it now, since you can pick it up at The Record Exchange in DTF, and look a lot cooler when your friends ask if you have heard that Tame Impala band yet.
Kevin Parker has got to be the center of creativity in Australia right now; he’s like the Australian version of a young Spencer Krug with music leaking out of every pore and too many great side project bands to count. Not to stray too much, but you should check out Kevin’s prominent band Pond ( Live on KEXP ) also, who killed it this year at SXSW. Pond is kinda like a mirror reflection (where the image reverses) of the studio recordings of Tame Impala, very similar elements but looking from the rock direction, not so much the psych. Now that I got that hot nugg of info off my chest, let’s jump into my favorite psych album of the year.
So, what do most people who don’t like psych rock complain about? …the instrumentals are too dragged out, long, and boring… what are all those weird noises?... etc. You psych rock haters have no defenses against Lonerism! Think magical mystery tour, strip out the silliness, keep the pop hooks, keep the cute accented vocals, and power wash that submarine with melodies of guitar distortion. Now, you have Lonerism.
Winning point #1, Beatle’s reference.
Winning point #2, solid and relatable song writing.
Wining point #3, dreamy enough to be dreamy, but absolutely not boring.
Winning point #4, we all love lead singers with accents, doesn’t matter what accent (Mumford and sons? ‘nuff said).
Winning point #5, (Guitar + Distortion) ^A Lot = YES PLEASE.
And I could add, winning point #6 as the Spencer Krug reference above, but who’s counting? Here’s a video for the single Elephant on the new album, it’s everything a good single should be, but personally there are other moments in this album that make me much much happier. The beautiful dreamy explosion of Music to Walk Home By with happy little guitar hooks skipping along into the more mellow, yet up tempo Why Won’t They Talk to Me into the instant sing-a-long chill groove of Feels Like We Only Go Backwards into the initially stripped down Keep On Lying into when it opens up into guitar riff awesomeness at the end is really the meat of the album in my opinion. In fact it is the majority of album. The connection between songs is like the connected piece of one of those toy snakes that wiggles around. It’s not an album where you consider the pieces, you consider the whole. I’m excited about this album from head to tail, every time I listen.
It must be noted that Lonerism is Tame Impala’s second release, the first album; Innerspeaker doesn’t lead on to the stylings on Lonerism. Fans tend to love both albums however, just for different reasons. Sadly, Tame Impala isn't coming to Baltimore or DC anytime soon. The closest they will get is Philadelphia at the Union Transfer on 11/08/12. So support local, pick up your copy of Lonerism in store at The Record Exchange in downtown Frederick until Tame Impala makes their way to the Baltimore / DC metro area.
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