This guest blog is by Jamie from Australia. It looks at the debut album from Aussie band Tame Impala who are grabbing the attention of not only Australian music critics, but also those of North American critics. Pitchfork recently gave the album the prestigious “Best New Music Tag”. The album is available on iTunes and in stores.
The band first came to prominence in early 2008 with the release of their very successful EP. Since then they’ve brought out a couple of singles and have toured extensively. I’ve seen them twice to date and despite being disappointed on each occasion I’ve stuck with them to see the release of their first effort.
The albums starts with It Is Not Meant To Be which sets the tone beautifully with it’s crisp yet lo-fi production, giving the band a much needed modern touch. This is followed by Desire Be Desire Go which is a true pysch rock anthem. Notably it’s the only track kept from their EP and hearing it in the context of this album, they’ve made the right move. The heavily treated guitars work perfectly and unlike so many other bands, they seem to know when to step off the indulgence pedals. On Alter Ego the band shows a serious case of split personality. On the one side you have one of the better vocal performances but on the other hand you have a confusing blend of distortion, rolling drums and fuzzy reverbs.
Solitude is Bliss is the first single off the album and re-creates the strutting vibe Oasis and Kasabian do so very well. Well this is how you strut when you’re stoned out of your mind.
Then you have Expectation which provides us with what i would call the climax of the album. Not only is it intricately layered with other worldly wall of sound type vocals but it is easily the catchiest song the band has ever given us. The Bold Arrow of Time will most certainly become the highlight of their live shows in the years to come as it takes the album to new heights with some of the heaviest moments on the album. Finally we have I Don’t Really Mind which is a little cheesy, a little out of place, and a bit repetitive. But to be honest, I really don’t mind! Great finish.
Overall, this is a brilliant record. Yes, a tad same-same and it clearly has its faults. But at the end of the day this frighteningly young band has given the world something old, something new, something borrowed and something a little blue. Let’s just hope these guys do last forever.
Score : 9.0/10
