The Impact of Currents and Track-By-Track Analysis
Before “Currents”, Tame Impala could have been labeled simply as a psychedelic rock band. However, this 2015 summer release took the project and its fans to a whole new level, expanding like never before.
Tame Impala is a solo endeavor lead by Australian musician, songwriter, and producer Kevin Parker. Parker wrote, recorded, performed, produced, and even mixed “Currents” solely by himself. Merely naming him a jack-of-all-trades would be an absolute understatement, as his musical and technical ability, knowledge, and execution are all well above average. The creation of “Currents” was a product of Parker forcing himself to stay indoors and really dig into his song ideas at his home studio in Fremantle. The album’s main message is to encourage people to embrace personal growth and change. As mentioned earlier, Tame Impala was strictly a psychedelic-rock project but this album transitioned its whole outfit. Instead of having that signature psychedelic sound found in their previous works, “Currents” emphasizes much more electronics and pop melodies. Parker has said that he made this change in his sound because he wanted his music to be more communal and wanted it to be playable at events where dancing could perhaps take place. While this deviation in style turned a lot of its hardcore fans away, it opened up so many more ears and allowed Tame Impala to gain popularity that it had never seen in the past.
Along with the addition of so many more fans worldwide, the album had an immense impact on popular music as a whole. Even though “Currents” has an electronic and pop emphasis, Parker maintains a certain level of that psychedelic groove aspect on the album that happened to reach both relevant artists and global fans of music alike. So many people that had only been exposed to the typical four-chord, dance beat pop music were all of a sudden being exposed to catchy music that also happened to have musical integrity. This introduction of new sounds to mainstream music lovers is so rudimental in the positive evolution that today’s music desperately needs.
Track-By-Track Analysis
The first track “Let It Happen” immediately makes the listener feel as if they are right inside of Parker’s brain. Instrumentally, the track is very atmospheric and dreamy while still maintaining danceable drum and bass patterns. This is the longest track on the album and it’s one of those songs that takes people on a journey rather than tell a story. The lyrics predict the backlash that Tame Impala would receive after making its stylistic change.
“Nangs” is merely a transition track. There’s nothing to decipher about it; it’s just a seriously groovy jam that allows the listener to stew on the epic nature of the previous track.
The following track “The Moment” alludes to Parker’s wishes of wanting his music to be heard in areas where dancing takes place. The lyrics “I fell in love with the sound of my heels on the wooden floor. I don’t want our footsteps to be silent anymore. Want them to be in the moment,” supports this claim. In conjunction with these lyrics, the song is extremely danceable with a very bouncy drumbeat and heavy synths.
The fourth track on the album is called “Yes I’m Changing”. The title alone reveals just a bit of what the entire message of “Currents” conveys. Sonically, the track is slower in nature and the chord progression is sentimental. The vocals and lyrical content is what really makes the track significant. Parker sings with an emotional and almost apologetic falsetto that forces the listener to take his words with importance.
The next track “Eventually” is another sentimental track that could be perceived as a breakup song. However, Parker is really having a one-on-one with his fans. The lyric “But I know that I’ll be happier and I know you will be too,” conveys the idea that at first this stylistic change in his music will be unnatural, but over time he is confident that it will grow on people in great ways.
“Gossip” is another transition piece. Atmospheric and ambient, this minimalist tune acts as a mindless intermission for the rest of the songs.
The following track “The Less I Know The Better” is the grooviest tune to come out of pop music as of recently. The bass line hits listeners immediately, transporting them straight to the dance floor of a 70’s club.
“Past Life” is somewhat of an interlude track. The instrumental has backbone and isn’t as ambient as the other transition tracks, but what also makes this tune different is that Parker does a speech with a deep vocal effect over a big chunk of the piece. In his speech he speaks of encountering his lover from a past life. To most this just sounds like a trippy experience on some type of hallucinogen, but only Parker can really clarify that.
The next track is once again a shorter transition-like track. The lyrical content for “Disciples” seems like a conversation that Parker is having with himself from the perspective of fans that he, theoretically, used to have prior to his change in genre. “Now it’s like the world owes you, walking around like everybody should know you.” Parker predicts some of the assumptions that people may have about his authenticity as an artist after “Currents”.
“’Cause I’m A Man” is a track that takes the album’s meaning to a slightly different level. At the time of Parker writing “Currents” he was going through a romantic break up. In this track, he stands up for himself both as a man and as a human being. “Cause I'm a man, woman; don't always think before I do. Cause I'm a man, woman; that's the only answer I've got for you. Cause I'm a man, woman. Not often proud of what I choose. I'm a human, woman; a greater force I answer to.”
The following track “Reality in Motion” is a plea for support in Parker’s stylistic deviation. He writes about the anticipation of releasing his new, sonically different album and he uses deep metaphors to convey his excitement and need for support. The instrumental is also quite upbeat, allowing listeners to feel somewhat as excited as he must have been.
“Love/Paranoia” is the second to last track on “Currents”. Parker writes about being paranoid when in love. The vulnerability must have caused him to say and do things he didn’t necessarily mean. He apologizes even when his lover probably should have been apologizing to him. But, the lyrical content conveys the simple truth that humans will do anything to be in love.
The last track “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” really wraps up Parker’s intent for his musical future. He acknowledges the disappointment he may cause but never minds it with his lyric “I don’t care, I’m in love”. The track’s instrumental is also a great summary of his stylistic change. There is much emphasis on electronics and synths, and the melody is very poppy. This ending track is a great way to end “Currents”, letting people know he is finally unapologetic for his changes and that he will take whatever criticism to continue doing what he really loves.
