Currents

Interesting and original band, but overrated in my opinion. Lots of filler in their albums. Always a great song or two, a few OK ones and rest are simply boring and uninspired. Here, 'Let It Happen' and 'The Less I Know the Better' are the ones to keep

Wow this was great! I can tell Childish Gambino is a Tame Impala fan; I hear a lot of Because of the Internet here.

Giving this one a 5 as 'Lonerism' isn't on the list – while the latter is Tame Impala's magnum opus, 'Currents' is a nearly perfect successor that saw Kevin Parker flexing his musical prowess by merging psych rock with synthy pop sensibilities without batting an eye. There's a perfect push and pull here between the OG Tame Impala sun-drenched guitar and the larger role played by synthesizers (who were already starting to steal the show on 'Lonerism'), the mix absolutely jam-packed with lush, rich melody but not overwhelmingly so. There are so many moving parts instrumentally on each track, but there's never a sense of fatigue or burnout – the drums, bass, and guitar anchor a strong psych-rock basis that allows Parker to experiment with wild synth runs and his now-classic falsetto dancing on top. Most of this experimentation is wildly successful, with 'Less I Know' becoming an instant smash and 'Let It Happen' becoming a modern psych staple of almost prog-like proportions. Much like its cover, the album is an encompassing miasma that flows and envelops everything around it in a way that's distinctly Parker's sound, but in an exciting new evolution. While the album did presage the crushing disappointment that was the sterile 'Slow Rush' (where, personal opinion, Parker sold way the fuck out), it's an amazing note to go out on as the last real Tame Impala LP. Psych-rock meets synth-pop is clearly a winning combination we need more of, at least when Kevin Parker tries his hand at it.

Tame Impala being one dude is the inverse of Steely Dan being two dudes. I think if I had listened to this album when I was in high school around when it came out it would have been life changing but as it is it’s a great album. 8/10

A 2010s classic. A synthy psychedelic pop rock album with a MONSTER opening track and a handful of other bangers. The theme of relationship breakup runs throughout and the lyrics are pretty on-the-nose for the most part. The record gets enjoyably weird in places, especially on 'Past Life' which includes a distorted spoken word story and a layered, ethereal chorus. It's very Flaming Lipsy, which is perhaps why I like it. Geat album, excellent pick. Rating: 4 Playlist track: Let It Happen Date listened: 03/08/24

About a quarter of the user submitted albums that have generated for me have been by Australian artists and I'm not mad about it.

It was shocking to me that this album wasn’t on the original list. It’s one of the biggest and best albums from the 10s. Whoever added this made the right choice. I do love this album. I used to listen to this all the time. I have found myself listening to it a bit less the past few years but it’s still a fantastic album that I’ll listen to whenever. It still is great and the pop synth beats are great. 9.0/10

This was a defining album of my college experience despite it coming out when I was starting high school. I get why it’s not included in the main list but I’d fully expect to see it there 10-15 years down the line because it’s awesome. Let it happen, only go backwards, and new person old mistakes are all classics and the rest is great too.

Okay, this is a dope selection! One that I believe will stand the test of time and prove itself an important touchstone in our musical and pop culture landscape. It's very of its moment, but in the best way. Iconic album cover too. Impressive artistry on display here.

What an album! Amazing!

2015 Genre: Psychedelic pop, synth-pop, disco, R&B Very nice addition to this list. Never heard it before, the band name is familiar to me. Every song is really great. While it's not a 5/5 of my book, I did really enjoy it and have listened to it many times over the past six months. It took me this long to finally feel comfortable giving it a rating. 4/5

I remember when this album came out but it was not something I listened to at the time. It's a good 2010s indie rock album with hints of psychedelia and synth pop. When this album is good, it's really good, but I find most of the tracks to be forgettable. It's critically acclaimed, but I think it may be overhyped given the date on this album and the greatness of the music that inspired it. Nevertheless, it remains a touchstone of the mid 2010s.

This sort of reminded me of MGMT with a little Empire of the Sun… which is a good thing for me, although I think I would reach for those two first. Still, I really loved the opening song. The bulk of the rest of the album felt kind of mellow, but I enjoyed lolling along with it. Good album!

Modern classic. A lot of great jams on here. Did you know Tame Impala is just one guy? 4.5/5

Enjoyed this one! New Person I’ve heard a bunch but can’t think of where, I know my brother had a hand in it. The Less I Know the Better and Past Lives were also great. I didn’t love every song but enjoyed the album overall.

Fantastic vibes bolstered by ethereal production on what is probably Tame Impala’s strongest album. It opens incredibly strongly with the psychedelic Let It Happen and other highlights include the blissed out Eventually, the swaggering stomp of The Less I Know The Better, and the hazy banger New Person Same Old Mistakes Some songs don’t quite hold up - Past Life has never worked for me and I don’t think Kevin’s vocals are too great on Yes I’m Changing - but it’s mostly pretty consistent with its dreamy sheen and catchy, inventive songwriting

I've heard the name before but I couldn't name a single song of theirs. Upon listening to the album, I instantly recognized "The Less I Know The Better" by sound. This would be best described as light, airy, easy to listen to music. Pretty cool!

New to me and an enjoyable listen all the way through. I love all the Canadian and Australian artists that have been suggested in the user list. Another gem I'm happy to have been exposed to. Would have happily traded out many of the albums on the main list for this one.

Strong add to the list, though the earlier, rockier records might be the slightly preferred. Certainly they were more Beatlesque and energized traditional pscyhedelic (as well as some blues-rock) tropes, this is softer, more ethereal and leaning into bouncier and lighter pop vibes. On some cuts, that makes for a richer, dreamier and more emotional aspect (e.g., "Eventually") that the first two records lose with louder guitatrs. The disco perhaps make it more accessible to more listeners. But it can get dangerously synthy and A-ha-like (e.g., "I'm a Man") and maybe the studio perfectionism lends a touch of sterility. Still, excellent recommend for an interesting and important artist. Definitely would fit on list proper.

No real objection to this other than like most music that is entirely produced by a single person, there is a manufactured feel to it - lacking something of the dynamic energy of the a collective effort. I'd be interested in hearing some live versions with his touring group.

6/10. Someone give me a heads up if they ever make a feral impala, that might be more exciting to listen to.

I really liked this. Sweet, shimmery, easy on the ears. They needed to drop 2 or 3 songs, but overall this was pretty great. Fave Songs: Yes I'm Changing, Eventually, Cause I'm a Man, The Less I Know the Better, Past Life

I find Tame Impala quite boring. One slow song like Let It Happen is fine, thirteen in a row is not. Some variation in tempo would have been nice as the songs are not that bad on their own.

This band is so lame. Just laaaaaaame. 1/5.

It is truly crazy that this didn't make the list but acts that definitely bit Tame Impala did. Good entry.

Obviously 5

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Let it happen, The moment, Eventually, The less I know the better, ‘Cause I’m a man, Reality in motion, New person same old mistakes

A perfect album. The only way it can be improved is to listen to the last track (New Person, Same Old Mistakes) at 1.25 speed.

Oh! Very nice!

Dreamy!

A band name I've heard for so long but never checked out. What a ride. This was fantastic. Definitely worth to be included. Hard to add much more. My personal rating: 5/5 My rating relative to the list: 5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? Yes

This deserves to be on the original list. It's brilliant.

Modern day masterpiece.

This is a belter. It felt like such a fresh sound when it came out. I really love it

HL: "Let it Happen", "Yes I'm Changing", "Eventually", "The Less I Know the Better", "Reality in Motion", "Brand New Person" Con: this was inescapable in 2016 Pro: without this there'd be no Tame Impala/Diana Ross collab for Minions: Rise of Gru

Currents has the individual earworms and also plays like a mix. Parker's a studio genius, of course, so the funk has no burrs on it. If there was ever a record to get you properly excited about a group in fractal, it's this one.

Really cool album. Although it's a lot of the same sometimes

It's good, however it's perhaps a bit TOO polished and one-dimensional in it's lyrical structure for my tastes.

A dreamy blend of electronic elements with a rock backbone.

Some great moments. Come on Superman say your stupid line Also, I think Lonerism should be on the 1001 for sure

Hey did you guys know

Should be on the original list.

Great listen. Found myself enjoying just about every song.

Really cool, makes me want to go snowboarding

Another good relisten

Classic

Reminds me a bit of OMD, if anyone remembers them. Less ethereal, but still a lot of that synthpop action going on. The Less I Know the Better is obviously a standout on the album.

Yeah, I know it's almost SXSW cliche hipster chill nonsense, but it's done so well and so charmingly I can't help but really like this record.

Nice. First time I've listened to a whole album through by Tame Impala, and - I'm not going to lie - probably the last, too. I like their tracks, but 51 minutes of it just seemed like too much. I do approve of what's being done, but was just a little tired of it by 3/4 of the way through.

This album is a fun listen. I'm not sure if I would characterize it as particularly groundbreaking for 2015, but the album sounds great. I really enjoy it when psychedelic artists cross over into more dancey stuff. The production is great. Very clear sound overall, but with a little grit left in 4/5

Wow what a nostalgia hit from my early 20s! And this album in particular was so big. We saw them at Ally Pally and it was a riot. Incredible gig. I have to say now listening I don't think it is as incredible as I thought it was at the time. But I totally still appreciate it and enjoyed listening. Fun times!

Not my favorite Tame Impala album but it’s still great.

4.5

Oh well, Tame Impala. Some essential or near-essential LPs released by other acts since 2015 owe a lot to their highlights. And inside *Currents*, Kevin Parker's own last essential LP as of now, "Let It Happen" and "The Less I Know, The Better" are humongous bangers for sure. The rest tags along rather nicely, thanks to groovy basslines and abundant washes of dreamy synths. Listening to the record again, I can't help reminiscing about that hilarious meme comparing Kevin Parker's fans circa *InnerSpeaker* or even *Lonerism* to the ones from the time of *Currents*. The first are psych rock hippies sat on the floor of a wooden shack getting hits from a bong, while the second are corporate squares sipping champagne in a pristine environment. Of course, what's implied in the meme is that those people are probably the same persons a few years apart. Bohemian bourgeois taste sure explains the critical and commercial success of this act, doesn't it? Indeed, rarely has the old story about "selling out" been so clearly harnessed in a music album. Parker puts it best himself in the lyrics of one song, seemingly about a romantic break-up (like most songs in the tracklist): "They say people never change, but that's bullshit, they do". The meta impulse is very strong throughout this record, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear that said impulse was actually a very self-conscious one throughout the recording sessions. Because for all intents and purposes, Tame Impala mostly broke up with the indie world to embrace the mainstream here. Such self-consciousness can also work against those compositions on a purely musical level, admittedly. Perfectionism -- apparent from the results, but also from reports on the way the LP was recorded -- was surely pivotal to craft the highlights, but it also sometimes stifle the overall "feel" of other tracks. And all-too-clean production values can never save a weak tune anyway. Alas, Parker's obsessive, perfectionist mindset thus led him to miss the forest for the trees once in a while, at least in a couple of inconsequential duds that could have easily been left on the cutting room floor without hurting the tracklist's flow or even shortening that 51-minute album too much. Looking at you, "Past Life" and "Disciples". Parker's glossy falsetto unironically repeating "''Cause I'm A Man" in the song bearing this name is also objectively a little worthy of derision. Even if I also recognize that Kevin's candid earnestness in that track may sound quite idiosyncratic or even endearing for some ears. This song being about masculine flaws, it sorts of checks out anyway Sometimes you need a little time to understand what past hypes were all about. That won't make me enjoy huge misfires such as later LP *The Slow Rush*, but I now readily recognize how iconic *Currents* comes off ten years down the line -- thanks to its hit singles first, but also through its overall theme of change and evolution. Growing up is rarely a walk in the park, right? Moody and zither-enhanced closer "New Person, Same Old Mistakes" even hammers the point home in ways I now find impressive -- both for the somewhat tormented bass-heavy music and for the lyrical contents. That internal dialogue Parker goes through in that back and forth between lead and background vocals during the song's chorus -- representing the parts of him that want to move forward and the parts that can't let go -- is truly a thing of wonder, in all senses of the word. "Maybe fake's what I like" the Australian musician even suggests at some point. Beyond the synth-driven meta shtick, such candour actually raises some very universal questions about identity and authenticity. Pretty cool for a record I only considered as gravely overrated at the time of its release. Guess I changed as well. At least, can I have one more glass of champagne now? Please? ----- 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4). Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ----- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 33 (including this one) Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 42 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 79 ----- Salut Émile, ça va ? J'ai enfin un peu de temps pour te répondre (pourtant je suis en vacances, pas comme toi qui traîne sur le générateur en scred pendant le taf, ha ha). L'interview s'est très bien passée. Il s'agissait de Tropical Fuck Storm (tu connais ? Son leader officiait dans The Drones auparavant). Avec le décalage horaire, j'ai cueilli le chanteur du groupe au réveil à l'hôtel. Ils étaient en pleine tournée, à Portland, Oregon. Et pourtant le mec était adorable... J'imagine que l'info que je te donne ici est pas vraiment renversante, et que ça n'intéressera pas grand monde autour de toi, mais garde-la pour toi, s'il-te-plaît. Le rédac chef de Mowno est un peu parano avant l'annonce officielle du sommaire des magazines version papier, lol. Je crois effectivement que l'on est très raccord sur KGATLW, ce qui, au vu de leur discographie gargantuesque, signifie beaucoup. *Nonagon Infinity* en number ouane et *Polygondwanaland* en number two, je valide totalement. "Crumbling Castle" était aussi mon titre préféré d'eux avant que "The Dripping Tap" ne déboule en ouverture d'*Omnium Gatherum*. Et il reste mon deuxième titre préféré aujourd'hui. J'adhère aussi (quasi) totalement à ta liste d'albums essentiels. Je remplacerais juste *Fishing For Fishies* (que je trouve très sympa, hein) par *Float Along - Fill Your Lungs*, pour lequel j'ai une tendresse particulière, et qui a l'air de bien représenter leur garage rock des débuts... Le KGATLW version heavy metal de *Infest The Rat's Nest* et *Petrodragonic* ne me parlait pas trop au début non plus, mais pour les avoir vu en festival (prestation proprement sidérante) clore sur ce style-là avec un abattage incroyable après une performance de quasi-deux heures, je dois dire que je vous les choses un peu différemment maintenant. Le reste du concert explorait principalement Omnium Gatherum (ouverture parfaite avec "The Dripping Tap"), avec aussi un extrait de Nonagon Infinity. Je pouvais difficilement espérer mieux ! Tiens, au fait, c'est quoi les concerts les plus mémorables auquel tu as assisté ? J'ai noté tes deux dernières suggestions d'écoute. Ravi d'y trouver le *WIDE AWAAAAKE* de Parquet Courts, qui est effectivement un classique de l'indie rock moderne, quelque part entre Pavement, Talking Heads et Beastie Boys (en quelque sorte). Ce disque était d'ailleurs l'album de l'année 2018 pour Mowno -- avant que je ne fasse partie de la rédaction. Quand je te dis qu'il est bien, ce site ! 😉 J'ai compté le nombre de suggestions d'albums / artistes que tu m'as faites en tout et que je ne connais pas: il y en a sept ! Challenge : tout écouter avant la fin de l'été. Pour l'instant, je vais être bien occupé à traduire et retranscrire mon interview, mais j'essaie de m'y coller après ! Dans les jours qui viennent, je réponds aussi à tes questions sur ma sélection pour la users' list et sur comment je suis tombé sur ce générateur... Ah, au fait. Dans ma review sur Tame Impala au dessus, je t'ai piqué l'expression "humongous banger", que tu avais utilisé pour le "Tiny Dancer" d'Elton John. Tellement drôle ! 😄 Have a very nice day! 🙂

I do admire wat Kevin Parker is capable of producing. Some really catchy ear-worm on this album. But apart from those, the other songs tend to be too much on the mellow side for my taste. The previous two Tame Impala records had more edge and urgency to them. Here it all seems to blend into one big sunny festival soundscape.

I really like this. Especially the openingtrack and Yes I'm Changing are one of my favorites. But that's simply not for the entire album.

Nice and trippy great work

It’s alright but not super compelling. 3 stars.

Sophisticated electro-pop. Good, but not special.

I feel I should know Tame Impala but I didn’t immediately recognise any of the music. Not too bad though.

I've got a bad habit of being resistant to things I've heard a lot about. Everyone was talking about Rick and Morty, or Adventure Time, and I avoided giving those things a try because I was tired of hearing how I should give them a try. (I later did. They're fine. Not my thing.) Tame Impala is one of those things. Aside from what I've heard from osmosis, I haven't listened to this one (despite seeing the album cover everywhere). I'm not saying I missed out or anything, but I'm saying... that it didn't matter if I waited or not? I don't think my opinion would've changed heavily if I checked this out earlier. It's produced gorgeously, especially the bass tones. The hooks are sticky. I find myself worn out by singer Kevin Parker's voice; it gets samey by track three and becomes white noise a few tracks later. It's something I can see why people enjoy it, it's just not my personal jam. Favorite tracks: "New Person, Same Old Mistakes", "Let It Happen"

Nice smooth sync alt rock with Let It Happen and The Less I Know being the clear stars of the show. Other than the unnecessary Past Life, the rest was pretty decent, though nothing seems to justify repeat listens.

I really want to like this band and in fact there's nothing here to dislike. If I played this over and over I would no doubt learn to love it but listening here objectively there's nothing that already hasn't been done. Pleasant pop.

Yea, not bad

First time listening to a full Tame Impala album, also did not realize its a dude not a band, I'm into it. I listened to it 3x w increasing levels of attention to decide if it gets a 4th star. Not today but it might be a grower!

There are some solid mid teens synth indie bangers on here.

Interesting dream psych pop rock. The longer format sings work well. I prefer this to Lonerism.

Attempted this one multiple times now and it's just not as good as his first 2. Innerspeaker and Lonerism are both solid 5's but Currents feels hollow and missing something (not enough guitar I think).

I like the hits

I have tried a few times to get into Tame Impala. I just haven’t been able to do it.

Confident I'm the only person who will make this comparison: They remind me of the Arctic Monkeys, where they're in the same scenes as bands I like, check a lot of the right boxes, people who know my tastes keep recommending them to me, etc... and I just can't get into them. Refuses to click for me.

Important record of the last decade, but not much of my taste.

Psychedelic pop, synth-pop, disco, R&B. Tostonazo pop. Un 2.

Inoffensive but not a game changer

Despite two good songs, it's totally dispensable.

OK. Its the same kind of dreamy pop-rock that I quite liked with War on Drugs due to listening to it at the time. I do think it sounds dated now and I don't have the same nostalgic associations so...

What an embarrassing inclusion! You standing by this lame pick? 🤣 🤣