“The Slow Rush” couldn’t have had a more perfect name because as you play this album, it feels like it’s stopping time and speeding it up all at once. “The Slow Rush” is one of those rare recordings that invites the audience to be completely present with the music. Though it’s easy to see how many may prefer the predecessor to “The Slow Rush,” the most discernible part about Parker’s latest album is how easy it is to get lost in the sound. Tame Impala’s psychedelic pop-rock sound sets itself apart from the masses, with Parker writing, producing and recording all the music himself. Hit songs like “The Less I Know The Better” and “Let It Happen” from the 2015 album, which have over 100 million plays on Spotify, set a pretty high bar for the artist. With his award-winning previous album “Currents” being difficult to top, it’s no wonder Parker took five years to release his next. Fans will surely get a lot out of this, as there is plenty to like, but new listeners might be better off starting elsewhere in their catalogue.Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala, stops time with his long-awaited fourth album “The Slow Rush,” released on Feb. Though I’m ultimately pleased with “The Slow Rush,” as it’s another solid project from Tame Impala, I don’t expect I’ll be revisiting it quite as much as “Lonerism” or “Currents.” The album’s best moments justify its place in Tame Impala’s discography, but it remains a bit too far within Parker’s comfort zone. The punchier re-recorded version of “Borderline” is an improvement of its original, and the beat switch on “Posthumous Forgiveness” still goes over exceptionally, giving the song a progressive rock feel. With that said, the singles do fit well onto the album and act as many of the most memorable tracks. In a way, this uniformity contributes to the album’s sense of cohesion by making it easier to get lost in the ambiance, but it also makes me wish that it had a few more moments to look forward to.
The tracklist is consistent overall despite its flaws, but the album offers fewer individual standouts than previous Tame Impala projects. Parker’s falsetto is a staple of his music, so it’s welcome here, though his performances are lacking in energy on a number of cuts like opener “One More Year.” While the leisurely vocals fit with the laid-back vibe of the album’s writing, even the unique instrumentals cannot hide the fact that some of the tracks feel like retread ground. The main cause of this issue, aside from the intentionally repetitive songwriting, is the lack of vocal distinction between tracks. This is sometimes used in place of a richer instrumental palette, but this is less of an issue on the more dynamic songs like “Posthumous Forgiveness” and “Breathe Deeper.” The moments where it is most troublesome are on songs like “Tomorrow’s Dust” that run longer than they should. The heightened momentum is tempered by Parker’s extensive use of reverb, especially on his vocals and the synthesized drums. The tempo is taken up a notch as well, further rooting many of the tracks in their dance music influences. “The Slow Rush” is clearly a continuation of the style Parker presented on “Currents,” but the instrumental grooves give the album a disco vibe.
Although Parker’s ear for pop music is undeniable, the move away from authentic instrumentation toward more synth-based compositions has been detrimental to the diversity of Tame Impala’s sound. Due to the streaming success of singles like “Elephant” and “The Less I Know The Better,” Tame Impala’s audience has grown considerably since the project’s debut, leading Parker to enjoy a level of critical acclaim and commercial success that few artists ever achieve. His 2010 release “Innerspeaker” is a more straightforward psych-rock album while 2015’s “Currents” is largely synthpop, with 2012’s “Lonerism” acting as a bridge between the two. The Australian music project, led primarily by singer and songwriter Kevin Parker, has embraced pop more with each successive album. But perhaps the album’s greatest boon and burden is its overwhelming sense of pleasantness, which gives it an immediate appeal but undercuts the sense of empathy and heaviness that defines Tame Impala’s best material. That feeling doesn’t negate the many things this project does right: it has glossy and stylish instrumentals, a style distinct from Kevin Parker’s previous albums, and plenty of little details to discover upon repeat listens. However, the album feels shallow at times, as the boldness of the production and extensive use of reverb gives some songs a feeling of intricacy that they don’t actually have. Fitting given its Valentine’s Day release, Tame Impala’s fourth album, “The Slow Rush,” is sweet on the ears and uplifting to the soul.
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