Originating in Perth, Australia, psychedelic rockers Tame Impala released their sophomore album, “Lonerism,” on October 9 in the U.S. Unlike their debut album which emphasized the use of heavier guitars, this album is more synthesized, and resembles Tame Impala’s more experimental side. Band member, Kevin Parker, worked alone for most of the making of this record, bringing a deeper meaning to the clever title “Lonerism.”
Another aspect of “Lonerism” is the more prominent use of the keyboard, and the longer guitar riffs than what Tame Impala is usually known for. They tend to stay true to their unique hypnotic sound throughout the album, while maintaining an experimental view as well. The song, “Sun’s Coming Up”, is an example of the keyboard usage, the song begins with a slow, but simple, keyboard tune, that is later joined by a heavy guitar riff. Overall the vocals drone on in a easy listening track.
Similar to Tame Impala’s debut album, “Innerspeaker”, “Lonerism” has a couple stand out hits. “Elephant” is catchy with a ongoing guitar beat that captures Tame Impala’s talent as a group The lyrics bounce along at first, creating an immediately engaging sound, before twisting into a synthesized guitar driven masterpiece. “Apocalypse Dreams” also has a star quality feel to it, bringing a steady guitar beat into the record, with more vocalization, bumping along to the chorus evenly, with a dreamy sound.
The bonus track, “Led Zeppelin”, has to be one of the best tracks on the record, displaying the originality of Tame Imapla’s guitar usage, and their talent for keeping the tracks intriguing during long guitar lapses. The lyrics don’t begin until the middle of the song, but this only adds to the tune and feeling of this mix. Many songs on the album have this quality to them: long guitar themed intros, with a dash of vocalization at intervals. This only emphasizes Tame Impala’s ability to keep audiences engaged, with or without lyrics.
“Be Above It” also adds to the new album’s greatness, offering a more psychedelic look into the record, beginning with the a synthesized drum beat, and moving into a chorus that intertwines both the drums and the guitar sounds, that Tame Impala has seemed to master. The song becomes catchier with each listen, the guitar movements echo throughout the track, and the familiar drum beat remains consistent.
Another one of the catchier songs on the record is, “Feeling Like We Only Go Backwards.” When listening to this catchy masterpiece, the lyrics “It feels like I only go backwards, baby” repeat throughout the chorus, repeating the ongoing theme of solitude that shows itself throughout the album. The catchier songs, and choruses’ of this album are what seems to make it intriguing, while easy to listen to.
Quite honestly, all of the tracks on “Lonerism” are filled with great guitar, and steady beats, creating an album without error. After the success of “Innerspeaker”, this record shows that there are many directions Tame Impala can go with their work in the future. “Lonerism” leaves audiences waiting in anticipation for whatever they decide to create next in the music world.
