REVIEW: Tame Impala - Lonerism

Advance word about Tame Impala's second record Lonerism hinted that it was more keyboard-centric than the first record, Innerspeaker (which was extremely guitar-centric)... and while I suppose it is, there is plenty of great guitar work. This is an excellent record in every way - it's easy to identify parts you like (for example, "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards" might be my favorite song of 2012), but it's when you take the record as a whole that you recognize Kevin Parker's genius.

Here's that song (apparently, the second single off the record):



Echoes of Lennon, Waters, Rundgren, you name it... and absolutely delightful.

Here is the video for the single, "Elephant", a pounding rocker that melds Parker's Lennonesque vocals with a musical underpinning that reminds me of nothing so much as Marc Bolan:



Or check out the Motown drumming-into-heavy psych of "Apocalypse Dreams":



While it's all of a piece, there is plenty of sonic variety and it is far from repetitive. And while I loved the guitars on Innerspeaker, Parker has revealed himself to be the kind of artist you can trust. If you are willing to follow him on the journey that is "Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Can Control", you will discover the most wonderful keyboard and vocal effects, and it will lead you into the quiet, introspective "Sun's Coming Up".

Parker's willing to share his world - it's not as though he is a loner because he doesn't enjoy being with people. I think it is more because he realizes he has the ways and means to share his singular vision with those of us who are willing to go along... and for that, he is to be applauded.

Buy, listen, read at Modular Records.