The Slow Rush Meets Expectations, But Fails To Exceed Them

Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker, AKA Tame Impala, is back with The Slow Rush, another neo-psychedelic synth-poppy album rife with introspection and grooves. The album comes after a 5 single lead up over the past year, that’s ended in a project that fits nicely snuggly within the Tame Impala discography. There is a clear, cohesive sound to the album and Kevin Parker shows his production chops on here, as well as flexing his muscle in regards to his talent on the variety of instruments present. Given that the album was delayed by months as he worked to make it perfect in his eyes, you can tell he really put love and care into the album. Parker’s affection for the tracks on this album is best exemplified in the lyrical and thematic choices he makes. On The Slow Rush, he poses various introspective questions to himself. After being newly married during the creation of this album, he asks if he is content spending the rest of his life with his wife, what their future looks like together, and overall grapples with the momentous challenges that being a newlywed brings. He examines this relationship many times throughout the album on songs such as on “Instant Destiny” in which he confronts the reservations he has with deciding to spend the rest of his life with his wife. He concludes “We'll be lovers until the end of time, I see it now, I see just how you're so right, You're so clear now.” and decides to drink the “Magic potion of love and devotion” and be lovers until the end of time. He also delves deeper into the relationship with his deceased father on “Posthumous Forgiveness”. His Father died of skin cancer when he was younger, and having been estranged from him at the time, Parker wrestles with feelings of regret and, as he puts it, posthumous forgiveness, left with him in the wake of his father's passing. In his signature falsetto he sings “I Wanna tell you 'bout my life, Wanna play you all my songs, Learn the words, sing along.” These are just a few examples of what becomes the overarching theme of the album, time. What to do with the time he has left on earth, who to spend his time with, and how his past experiences have shaped his actions up to this moment in time. The opening track “One More Year” details Parker's anxieties with the flow of time, but concludes with taking it one year at a time, and living his life doing what makes him happiest.

“One More Year” is also an example of some of Parker’s better production on the album. It immediatly immerses the listener into a pulsating nu-disco groove backed by what Parker describes as a “Gregorian Robot Choir” repeating the mantra of “One more Year”. The bassline is groovy and Kevin's familiar vocals make an appropriate start to the project. Unfortunately although the production throughout the album is danceable and agreeable, it doesn't feel as cutting edge as it was on even his most recent album Currents. There is a certain tameness (no pun intended), about the production here. In lieu of his more psychedelic and engaging production choices made on Lonerism and sections of Currents, he has doubled down on the more laid back synth grooves, and shed the rockier, electric guitar oriented sounds of the past. Kevin is a talented multi-instrumentalist, and it is still a fairly astounding feat to produce such an album as The Slow Rush doing all the vocals, bass, drums, guitars, and a majority of the production on his lonesome, but I still feel as if Kevin hasn’t truly stepped up to the plate and swung for the fences like he did on his past albums. Alongside “One More Year”, the finger-picked acoustic riff that marks the start of “Tomorrow's Dust”, and the affecting second half of “Posthumous Forgiveness” are moments of true ambition that stand out. If only these moments had permeated the entire project, it would have been another classic Tame Impala album, but it’s just not quite there.

The project is enjoyable and relistenable, but there is clearly a divergence between where Parker wants to take Tame Impala and where I wish it would go, but that’s ok. The themes explored here are thought-provoking, and I can still sing along with a good chunk of the tracks. I am along for the Tame Impala ride and excited to see what Kevin brings to the table from here on out. If the lyrics on here are any indication, making music makes Kevin happy and still has many years of creation left.

I would recommend this album to fans of indie rock, synthpop, and neo-psychedelia. If you are a fan of MGMT, Neon Indian, Mac Demarco, and other such bands, and have somehow not given Tame Impala a listen yet, I implore you to dive into Kevin Parker’s catalogue.

Originally published in the Fulcrum, October 7, 2019.