Tame Impala: ‘The Slow Rush’

Australian multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker returns with his neo-psychedelic home-recording project, Tame Impala. The Slow Rush is Tame Impala’s first full-length since 2015’s ARIA award-winning and Grammy-nominated Currents, and it’s a wide-ranging master stroke of musical brilliance. Like the bulk of the one-man moniker’s previous projects, The Slow Rush was written, performed, and produced by Parker.

After a lengthy delay following what turned out to be a false start with an unexpected appearance on SNL, and two singles released in the spring of 2019, Kevin Parker has finally delivered his latest masterpiece and it’s well worth the agonizing wait. Equally ethereal and danceable, The Slow Rush sounds as if it could’ve been recorded in 1979, but newly discovered today and remixed using modern technology.

Led by previously previewed tracks “Lost in Yesterday,” “Posthumous Forgiveness” and the newly tweaked “Borderline” The Slow Rush sounds like a hypnotic time warp from which you don’t want to escape. The soul-infused “Instant Destiny,” the eargasmic acid house banger “Breathe Deeper” and the dreamlike “On Track” are but a few of the high points embedded within this ingeniously crafted record. Parker’s heady lyrics are immaculately intertwined within an auditory psychedelia that truly transports the listener to another plane.

The one and only disappointment to be found here is the conspicuous omission of the previously released single “Patience,” but with that said, if The Slow Rush had been a movie instead of an album, it would’ve deserved two big thumbs up. So, put on your best pair of headphones and turn the volume way up!

Harry Styles Emerges as Rock Star on Solo Debut Album

Harry Styles: Harry Styles

What do you do in your spare time while on hiatus from one of the world’s biggest-selling and most successful boy bands? If you’re Harry Styles you use that time wisely by dropping a debut album so commanding that it makes you an instant rock star. If you disregard preconceived notions concerning boy bands, as well as stop trying to decipher if lyrical subtexts may or may not allude to Taylor Swift, you will hear the emerging talent of an undeniably credible solo artist. Harry Styles effectually straddles the line between do-it-yourself production qualities and cock rock.

Harry Styles won’t stop Directioners from wondering if and when the notorious boy band will reunite, but it certainly affirms Styles has the goods to become a major solo star. It’s also utterly refreshing to hear a young artist embrace the use of organic elements such as strings, guitar, and choir instead of opting for the exhausted generic sounding beat-driven production gimmicks currently permeating the musical landscape. [Read Full Review]

Watch the “Sign of the Times” Music Video: