Kevin Parker slowly unveils what his new album will sound like as we all await the highly anticipated follow-up to 2015’s “Currents.”
Tame Impala has quickly gained a cult-like following after the praised record that was “Currents.” Tame Impala is the brainchild of Kevin Richard Parker. Parker is renowned for his creative abilities and for being not only the singer, but also the writer, multi-instrumentalist and producer of Tame Impala. He is a powerhouse right now in the music world and has amassed listeners from around the globe who bow at the man’s musical genius. In anticipation of his fourth studio album “Slow Rush,” Parker has released three singles that showcase the sound of his next work. “Slow Rush” is meant to represent a dive into the oceans of time and how life continues to pass us by as we aren’t paying any attention to it. 
His first single off of “Slow Rush” is titled “Patience”i and is a self-reflective journey into the human psyche. Patience is the first new song fans have heard in four years and it proves to have been worth the wait. In a way, it is what you expect from Tame Impala but it seems to be of a different breed. This song delivers the same synth and bass sound we are familiar with in Tame Impala but offers us something deeper in its lyrics. Particularly when Parker sings, “time waits for no one” and “growing up in phases,” he taps into a strange feeling that people know but cannot describe with words – well, until now. This song is emotional, groovy and a slap in the face from Tame Impala about life and the implications of not living it to the fullest. I have had it on repeat since its release in March. 
April of this year gave us the second single off of “Slow Rush” titled Borderline. Borderline talks about Los Angeles and the feeling it provokes. This song is almost hypnotic and gives listeners a sense of unease about wasting away in a town that you didn’t grow up in. Parker’s backstory of growing up in Australia but now living in Los Angeles is reflected in the lyrics of Borderline. He sings of his condition, being “caught between the ties of fame and fortune” and being a loner who can’t get away. Parker’s voice is heavy and powerful but still laced over a strong beat that seems to cover up a sense of sadness. I view this song as being an ironic story of how the newfound successes of a career can also be the part you never knew you’d dislike. 
The most recent release off of “Slow Rush” is October’s “It Might Be Time.” “It Might Be Time” comes after a summer of me listening to the first two singles on repeat and is a welcomed fix that fans needed. The consistent theme of time continues on this track as Tame Impala tackles the subject in a new manner. Parker sings, “I’m only tired of all these voices/Always saying nothing lasts forever.” He goes on to say, “It might be time to face it/You ain’t as young as you used to be.” The song interweaves his messages about tackling a fading sense of youth and the pressure people put on him to grow up with a siren-like wave of music. This song is a call out to wanting the past but living in the distant future. It’s happily dark and grimly hopeful at the same time. I’m hooked. 
Tame Impala’s follow-up to “Currents” arrives on February 14, 2020 via Interscope/Fiction. The album will be 12 songs in length all of which were recorded, produced and mixed by Kevin Parker himself.  “Slow Rush” will no doubt be a great record and I cannot wait to give you the full review come next year.