While it may have been impossible to predict that the same band that released Innerspeaker in 2010 would create an album like Currents in 2015, in hindsight it's not at all difficult to see how this new sound was reached. Just as Innerspeaker gave Tame Impala the psych-rock label that would be expanded upon in Lonerism, Lonerism in turn introduced the spacey synthesizers and pristine production that would take the lead in Currents. While this latest installment in frontman Kevin Parker's discography may be the most sonically different out of anything in the Tame Impala catalog, it still retains something that makes it familiar.
Most notably, Currents marks Parker’s transition to becoming the complete embodiment of Tame Impala, as he wrote, recorded, produced, performed, and mixed it entirely on his own in his home studio. Up until this point he had worked with other bandmates or at least producer and mix engineer Dave Fridmann, but Currents is his first singularly created album, and his well-documented obsessive nature shows through this in pretty much every aspect. From the lush synth tracks that bubble through the mix to his effortless, washed out vocals, every sound is rendered with the utmost care.
Though this LP builds upon the foundation laid by Tame Impala’s first two albums it certainly lives in it’s own space. This was evident even in "Let it Happen," the first single released, as the nearly eight-minute track features synth-driven melodies, enough studio tricks to make nearly any producer’s mouth water, and, most surprisingly, barely any guitar. While other tracks on Currents do utilize more guitar, the instrument is mainly used as more of an accent rather than the focal point of each song, a stark contrast from previous staple tracks like "Elephant." Even the song "Eventually," which begins with a fuzzy guitar riff, transforms into a shimmering synth jam as it descends into the verse.
Besides a lack of guitar, Currents is unique in part because Parker has come to embrace pop songwriting techniques. Leading up to the release of Lonerism he admitted “I really love, like, pop music now” in one of the videos shared by Modular Recordings, and he also revealed that he had written an entire album for Kylie Minogue, an Austrailian pop singer. Since then, Parker has gone on to record with American pop producer Mark Ronson and is featured on 3 tracks on Ronson’s 2015 album Uptown Special.
Currents can’t exactly be classified as pop, but it’s probably the closest thing to pop that Tame Impala has released. Yet, after songs like the synthy ballad “Yes I’m Changing” and the sugary-sweet “The Less I Know The Better," Parker throws out a left turn in “Past Life," which features pitched down, spoken word vocals not unlike how documentary characters sound when trying to hide their identity in an interview, that ultimately pulls the album back down into an odd haze of phased out, psychedelic noise.
In terms of lyrical content, while Innerspeaker and Lonerism came from the mind of someone stuck inside their own head, Currents showcases that same voice venturing beyond introspection. It’s easy to call this record a break-up album, but Kevin Parker is very clear that it’s much more than that. He speaks largely about change - change in himself, change around him, change in other people - and how those changes shape his thoughts and emotions. It seems like he’s been through a lot, but he’s pretty okay with letting things happen as they come.
Currents comes as two things: It is the most adventurous, interesting, and well-produced collection of songs Kevin Parker has created thus far, sitting atop of the Tame Impala discography as the most mature and painstakingly crafted iteration in their twisted psych-pop world. However, it also serves as a transition. If anything, we now know that Kevin Parker is unable to stick with a certain sound, forever looking for new ways to evolve his ideas and push his project beyond what was expected when Innerspeaker first hit the shelves. While this album is impressive in its own right, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see what comes next.
