Today is the 9th anniversary of the release of Currents. Happy Birthday to you, Currents.
This was the first album I ever had on vinyl record. It means the world to me, so now I’m going to try and break down that meaning into this article.
Like many kids who grew up as teenagers in the 2010s, I credit Tame Impala as my “coming of age artist.” I just have so many memories to attribute to his music, and they all come back in cinematic nostalgia loops whenever I listen. …and I listen a lot haha, Tame Impala is my most listened-to artist of all time, and Currents, specifically, is my personal favorite album of all time (though I believe Donuts is the “greatest” album of all time).
Currents is often talked about as a “breakup album.” While that’s not a wrong interpretation, I feel as if it goes above and beyond into generally just being an album about “growing up” – at least, that’s what it’s been for me.
Simply put, Currents is about change. The word alone evokes thoughts of electricity, time, and rivers. Its tracklist is just as fluid, transitioning from electric mazes of synthesizer to elusive psychedelic smooth guitar, to blown-out feedback, to the grooviest bassline ever, y’know, the one… But so much of the true beauty of this album lies in its lyricism. At least, that’s what made me first fall in love with it as a kid.
In the musical evolution of Kevin Parker, something he’s remarked about his older projects is that he wished he made his vocals louder. In Currents, he brings himself to stand in the spotlight. In doing so, the words and wisdom out of which he weaves this masterpiece are placed center stage.
Almost every song title on this record is drawn from a poignant chorus in the track. They all comment on a relationship between time and change, a progression forward (“Let It Happen,” “The Moment,” “Eventually,” “Yes I’m Changing,” “Past Life,” “Reality In Motion”). In subject matter, every song draws from an introspective lens on how time and change have impacted Kevin Parker’s journey, both as a person and an artist.
This is a pop album. It’s for the people, and yet, it feels so deeply personal listening, as if you’re sitting on the other side of a phone call hearing a heart poured out. He manages to entwine the two perfectly, and as a result, has found himself in worldwide stardom. It’s because so many people have had this intimate connection to Currents.
The very heartbeat of this album is a pounding pulse found in its opening moments, continuing all throughout as a sort of lifeblood. Currents is something new for Tame Impala: it’s dance.
As we take this plunge, we’re urged to “Let it happen, just let it happen.” The phrase echoes, and the world of Currents engulfs us, like a wave crash. The legendary drop at 6:15 where Kevin Parker conjures magic with his production will go down in every indie kid’s hall of fame. The lyrics, ”take the next ticket, take the next train” invite us on this transformative journey to who knows where.
“Nangs” seems to expand forever, bobbing around in Adult Swim-esque beats as Kevin asks, “is there something more than that” over and over. It’s perfect complexity distilled into simplicity.
“The Moment” ticks on and on along mysterious guitars. Parker has spoken on how this track was the emblem of his inspiration drawn from the abandoned Coogee Power Station with which he spent much time during the writing of Currents. The synth-guitar breakdown was inspired directly by standing at its base and looking up.
“Yes, I’m Changing” feels like reaching out into a starry future and sailing beyond what has been. He speaks bluntly in truths such as in the line, “They say people never change but that’s bullshit.” It’s the most direct he’s ever been. It’s freedom. This is one of the best songs on this star-studded record. Maybe the best.
“Eventually” is a perfect song, with its absolutely gnarly hook, its skyscraping synth highs that collapse into brilliance, its angelic vocals, and its heartbreaking lyricism. If it’s not the former track, this is the best song on Currents.
“Gossip” is a perfect little instrumental that ushers in an absolute classic. It’s a nice moment.
“The Less I Know The Better,” – what is there to say about this song that hasn’t been said already?- it’s the perfect pop song. This song went triple bajillion diamond on every indie kid’s Spotify. That ridiculous bassline is worth a billion streams on its own.
Fun Fact: Did you know Kevin Parker almost gave this song to Mark Ronson?
We get a total left turn on “Past Life.” Kevin storytells throughout the track in pitched-down speech, all the while, the instrumental shimmers and warps in beautiful feedback. Kevin debuts sounds he’s never used before, exploding whatever speaker system is used to play the track. It’s an anomaly in his discography. All the same as any Tame Impala song though, it’ll have you astrally projecting.
“Disciples” is another short and sweet cut from Currents. As Parker reflects on younger days as a student, bright guitars wave to and fro. I had an ol pal from the West Coast and this was his favorite song. We bonded a lot over this record. He introduced me to Coconut Records’ Nighttiming and Tennis’ Yours Conditionally. I will always associate this song and those records with California.
“‘Cause I’m A Man” shines through like a diamond. As it twinkles, Parker falls apart, singing its namesake for those in search of understanding. Kelly Morris does an amazing cover of this song.
“Reality In Motion” made my heart run in circles and overflow. Seriously, this is the song that made 16-year-old me fall in love with this album. Since then, I’ve never looked back. This song is very special to me. It’s euphoria pressed into a speedy neo-psych track. What’s not to love?
“Love/Paranoia” has one of the best hooks on the album- which is impressive because I think this album has amazing hooks. Kevin pulls listeners into the track with a bewitching vocal melody until suddenly that sonic avalanche hits and Parker wordpaints the scene. This track is cinematic, depicting the folly of a lover. But it’s healing, in its sounds and story.
As a kid, my favorite Tame Impala song was “New Person, Same Old Mistakes.” I was like, dude, “so real.” – having experienced absolutely nothing in life. But that inner dialogue was so intriguing to me, and that bass line reminds me of the bazaar music from Skyward Sword, so it was my favorite. I dunno, this song is just amazing. Hell, Rihanna even covered it. And again, that bassline just pushes forward, through it all – kind of like us. Hearing Parker’s inner monologue entwine and fray is nothing short of a marvel, and the way it all comes together to paint this beautiful neo-psychedelic self-portrait is pure genius.
The opening lines of “New Person, Same Old Mistakes” address this adventurous change he’s pursuing:
“I can just hear them now
“How could you let us down?”
But they don’t know what I found
Or see it from this way ’round
Feeling it overtake
All that I used to hate
One by one, every trait
I tried, but it’s way too late
All the signs I don’t read
Two sides of me can’t agree
Will I be in too deep?
Going with what I always longed for”
I think it’s absolutely beautiful to be able to extract that inner voice so clearly, and that’s what Tame Impala has been about forever since the days of InnerSpeaker.
When I was first introduced to Tame Impala, Currents served as a gateway- introducing me to this weird world of Aussie psychedelia (alongside, King Giz and Pond). Every record in his discography is very special to me, and for a very long time Lonerism was my number 1, but… in time, I’ve returned to what I loved at the start.
In interviews, Kevin Parker has talked about how when he was younger, his relationship to pop music was different. That stuff wasn’t cool and so he kept it out of his sound. As he’s grown, he’s decided that it’s cooler to like what you like. I think that’s pretty cool.
It wasn’t “cool” to like Currents, real Tame Impala fans liked Lonerism and InnerSpeaker. But none of that really matters and in time I’ve come full circle.
Kevin Parker has also spoken about how his inspiration for Currents was a drug-induced vision, calling him to make pop music. The album is a response to Parker feeling pulled in this new direction, by currents, a greater force he answers to. And so he receded into three years of isolation, recording every sound that you hear on this masterpiece and pouring his heart and soul into each word. I am forever grateful for its existence.
