Tame Impala asks for “Patience,” Teases Currents-esque Sound

Fresh off of performances on both weekends of Coachella, a musical guest spot on Saturday Night Live, and two new singles to mark the anticipation of a new album, the Tame Impala hype train is picking up speed. Aside from an unexpected collaboration with the electronic dance producer ZHU, fans of the Australian psych artist have waited patiently over four years for a glimpse of new music. The release of “Patience” followed by “Borderline” has fans stirred as to what the new album will sound like. Unfortunately for fans of Tame’s earlier work, the anticipated next record will have a similar style as their 2014 release, Currents.

Kevin Parker, the solo mastermind behind Tame Impala, was once part of a heavier rock sound named Mink Mussel Creek. Four teens who were experimenting with garage rock and distorted guitar riffs may have had an undeveloped sound, but each was onto something. Take their extended grunge jam “We Dated Steadily” for example; while the 13-minute track seems to go on for decades, each segment features a gritty soundscape of some exceptional guitar and drum rhythm.

Eventually MMC split up to pursue personal projects, but instead of parting ways, many of the members contribute to each other’s work and also perform live (obviously since Kevin Parker can’t play every instrument… at once). While Parker, Pond frontman Nick Allbrook, and musician Jay Watson were creating their own music, they all contributed to the rapidly growing genre of psychedelic rock. It’s easy to see Parker’s inspiration and previous experiences pierce the sky on Tame Impala’s first, self-titled EP. “Desire Be Desire Go” employs an up-tempo rhythm with scratchy, synth-fused guitar riffs that can put you in a trance, while the slow jam march of “Half Full Glass of Wine” gets so groovy even when followed up with its high-energy chorus.

Fans who claim to be “some of the very first listeners” believe the self-titled EP is Tame Impala’s true sound and anything softer is a mainstream-pop cash grab. While standouts like “The Bold Arrow of Time” on his debut album Innerspeaker and “Elephant” on the follow up Lonerism embrace the grit of psych rock, Parker has transitioned into a more pop-infused synth-wave style that has attracted more fans. On one hand, the variance in sound has disturbed the likes of many thrash-heads. But on the other, Parker gifted the world with the groovy psych-disco hit “The Less I Know The Better” that shot him into the stratosphere.

Since the 2014 release Currents, the popularity of Tame Impala’s sound has sought collaboration and production for Miguel, SZA, Travis $cott, ZHU, and Theophilus London. It is easy to see that Tame’s poppy-er sound may be a product of these partnerships, but it is also in part an artist’s choice to experiment with other forms of instrumentation. Look at Childish Gambino over the course of his career. His first two releases were heavily hop-hop inspired, but with future releases Because The Internet and Awaken! My Love, Bino displayed both trap and funk rock sides to his persona.

To reference an artist closer to home, there is the crazy 7-piece suit known as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. The fellow Australian psych rockers not only released five albums over the course of 2017, the albums ranged from genres of prog-rock, spoken word, jazz and microtonal tuning for some rock riffs that hadn’t been explored before. If that isn’t enough context to validate artist exploration, The Beatles began with more pop-inspired tunes that were easy plays on the radio, as well as hit their female fans hard with their crooning vocals. As they became astronomically more famous, they developed their sound on their terms, whether it is the folky Rubber Soul or the psychedelia of Yellow Submarine. It’s safe to say that some of the best artists are the ones that break out of their own fan-induced mold.

After multiple listens of “Patience” and “Borderline,” it is clear that there is less of a guitar presence and more of keyboard/piano melody. If I were to play devil’s advocate, there is a chance that whatever project Tame Impala will release next is riddled with some of his earlier rock fusion and true psychedelic-esque distortion. Like many artists, the songs released as singles tend to be the pop-inspired, catchy tunes. You want something that will cast out the largest net. Once you have all the diehard fans and newbies together, that’s when the full album comes and provides enjoyment of sorts for everyone (hopefully). But if I had to put money on it, Tame Impala’s anticipated album will fit a closer model to the psych-pop grooves of Currents and not of the rock roots of Innerspeaker. Regardless of the sounds you prefer, keep an open mind to the tunes that come next. It’s better to prepare yourself for change beforehand than resting all your laurels on the hope Kevin won’t change.