Your Popstars Favourite Rockstar
Some albums define a moment: The Stone Roses’ self-titled debut, Nirvana’s 'Nevermind', and Pulp’s 'Different Class'. Others change music forever, like 'Rumours', 'Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band', and 'OK Computer'.
'Currents' by Tame Impala is a rare example of an album that did both. Arriving nearly two decades after those landmark records, "Currents' both captured the nature of its time and pushed music into bold new territory. Like the albums before it, "Currents' reshaped genres, influenced a new generation of artists and acts as a turning point in modern pop and psychedelic music.
Released in July 2015, 'Currents' was written, recorded, performed, produced, and mixed by Kevin Parker, the driving force behind Tame Impala. It wasn't Parker's first rodeo in the studio. 'Lonerism' had come out three years earlier, and his debut, 'Innerspeaker,' two years before that. Those records had already placed Parker, and thus Tame Impala, at the forefront of a psychedelic rock revolution.
The Exceptional Debut
Taking inspiration from the late '60s and bands like The Beatles, Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, Cream, and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Parker set out to create something no one else was doing. He had great ideas from the very start.
On his debut 'Innerspeaker', tracks like ‘Lucidity’, ‘Alter Ego’, and ‘Desire Be, Desire Go’ showcase his range. ‘Solitude Is Bliss’ (groovy title) channels Cream in the verses before turning into The Beatles at their most lysergically languid in the chorus.
This record saw Parker blend swirling guitar effects, driving rhythms and dreamy vocals to create a sound that appeared both vintage and new. Tracks like ‘Lucidity’, ‘Alter Ego’ and ‘Desire Be, Desire Go’ showcase his range, moving between catchy psych-pop hooks and expansive exploratory passages. ‘Solitude Is Bliss’ (groovy title) channels Cream in the verses with fuzzed-out riffs and a rolling groove before turning into The Beatles at their most lysergically languid in the chorus, bathing the listener in waves of reverb and layered melodies.
Beyond the already mentioned tracks and sonic influences, 'Innerspeaker' stands out for its immersive atmosphere and its ability to transport the listener. The album’s cover art, a surreal and recursive landscape, perfectly encapsulates the feeling of getting lost within the music. Each song feels interconnected, as though the album is meant to be experienced in a single, uninterrupted sitting, much like classic psychedelic records.
Parker’s approach to recording 'Innerspeaker' was notably solitary and experimental. Working at Wave House, a remote studio near the Indian Ocean, he embraced isolation as a creative tool. This sense of seclusion seeps into the record, with expansive instrumentals and introspective lyrics that evoke the feeling of drifting through endless space. The use of analogue equipment and vintage effects wasn’t just an aesthetic choice; it was a deliberate attempt to capture warmth and imperfection, giving the music a living, breathing quality.
Critically, 'Innerspeaker' was hailed as a fresh yet nostalgic take on psychedelia. It resonated with both classic rock fans and a new generation discovering the genre. The album’s success laid the groundwork for Tame Impala’s growing profile on the international stage, earning Parker comparisons to Kevin Shields and John Lennon.
But Parker wasn’t just recreating the past; he was reimagining it. His production choices, from the thick analogue depth of the recordings to the inventive use of phasers and reverbs, gave the album a distinct personality. ‘The Bold Arrow Of Time’ uses Jimi’s guitar as a spark for its stiff funk blues riff, but the song quickly veers into a psychedelic jam that sounds uniquely Tame Impala. Through these tracks, Parker proved himself as a songwriter and producer who could pay tribute to his heroes while creating a truly original sound.
Runway, Houses, City, Clouds' is one of the most quietly overwhelming pieces Parker has ever committed to tape. It doesn't announce itself; it simply builds, slowly and patiently, with a kind of unhurried grandeur that makes most rock songs feel rushed by comparison. In many ways, 'Runway, Houses, City, Clouds' most completely summarises what 'Innerspeaker' is as a record. The debut album was, above all, a guitar album: thick, phaser-soaked, reverb-drenched, and rooted in the late '60s psychedelic tradition Parker grew up absorbing.
Every production choice on 'Innerspeaker' came from that world: the fuzz-heavy tones, tape-saturated warmth, and the way Parker's vocals are treated as just another instrument in the mix, buried and blurred rather than foregrounded. It sounded like an album from a different decade, and that was entirely deliberate. Parker wasn't trying to update psychedelia; he was trying to inhabit it from the inside.
The album clearly captures what made the early Tame Impala sound so distinctive and difficult to replicate. Parker's guitar tone on 'Innerspeaker' was unique: phaser set to a slow, wide rate, fed into fuzz, warmed by the analogue recording chain he used at Wave House. Dozens of bands have tried to copy that tone since, with varying degrees of success. Parker was a pioneer from the get-go.
The Not So Difficult Second Album
His second album, 'Lonerism', is where Parker took his love for The Beatles and turned it into something special: a luscious, floaty ode to solitude.
The list of artists who have tried to emulate The Beatles is long. The Ramones invented scuzz-punk while trying to be "The Beatles on speed." ELO aimed to pick up where 'I Am The Walrus' left off. Daniel Johnston's entire career was a naive attempt at emulating the Fab Four. Some say Oasis sounds a bit like The Beatles, too. Tame Impala's Kevin Parker is another member of the club, but on 'Lonerism' he draws from one specific moment in their discography: 'Tomorrow Never Knows.'
It's the song that The Chemical Brothers ended DJ sets with. It's the one Oasis referenced on 'Morning Glory' ("Another sunny afternoon/Walking to the sound of my favourite tune/Tomorrow never knows what it doesn’t know too soon"). And it's the one on which John Lennon turned on, tuned in and dropped out, envisioning vocals that sound like "thousands of monks chanting" and unleashing his inner astral traveller.
The sound of The Beatles can be heard throughout the record. Sounds phase in and out, drums thunder, guitars chime with warm, valve-amp bite, and voices are multi-tracked into rich harmonies. Snippets of speech bubble in the background, loops repeat, and vocals echo distantly, as if drifting in from a radio in another room. The blend truly hits its stride at the album's midpoint, 'Why Won't They Talk To Me?', which crashes over you in waves of sound, pulling back and pushing forward, becoming stronger each time. The lyrics are starkly literal, frequently repeating the title and sounding more desperate with each iteration. Elsewhere, they sink into a pit of despair: "I’m so alone/Nothing for me"; "Lonely old me… I thought I was happy."
The song titles tell a tale full of 'woe is me' moments, like the bass-driven pop of 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards', the aforementioned 'Why Won’t They Talk To Me?', and the glam rock-like 'Elephant', which hides lyrics such as "He's got friends but you get the feeling/That they wouldn't care too much if he'd just disappear" behind a Goldfrapp-esque electro stomp. It's music that tells you one thing while sounding like another.
This dual aspect is one of 'Lonerism’s' most intriguing qualities. Parker contrasts bright, infectious melodies masterfully with lyrics that express isolation, longing and uncertainty. The result is a listening experience that is emotionally complex, music that is anthemic and euphoric, but you also feel the sting of its confessions and stories. Even the album’s most upbeat moments are tinged with a rueful sense of yearning.
Perhaps the greatest moment is 'Nothing That Has Happened So Far Has Been Anything We Could Control', a cymbal-crashing burst of fried psychedelia that's so Beatles-esque you half-expect the Yellow Submarine to float by. These Beatles comparisons aren't meant to be a criticism, nor do they suggest that 'Lonerism' lacks scope, ambition, originality ,or great tunes. Instead, they're a reflection of how far The Beatles could have gone on exploring psychedelia during their '66/'67 purple patch, and are a testament to how, today, one man working largely alone can match what was once the pinnacle of pioneering sound produced by the greatest band in the world's most famous studio. 'Tomorrow Never Knows' was born of psychedelic experimentation 'Lonerism' is escapism from a desperate place. It also comes from Perth, the most isolated city on the planet, written by a man with a difficult childhood, who on his previous album had already hinted that Solitude is Bliss'
With 'Lonerism', Parker expanded his sonic palette and his ambition as a songwriter. The album is notable for its increased use of synthesisers and electronic textures, blending seamlessly with the signature fuzzed-out guitars. The production is lusher and more layered, with each track brimming with detail, from swirling synth arpeggios to intricate drum programming.
Lyrically, 'Lonerism' is even more personal and vulnerable than its predecessor. Themes of disconnection, social anxiety, and introspection are woven throughout, often delivered with striking directness. Songs like 'Apocalypse Dreams' and 'Mind Mischief' blur the line between waking and dreaming, capturing the surreal, liminal spaces of consciousness.
Parker’s willingness to experiment is evident in the album’s structure. Tracks transition unpredictably, sometimes dissolving into noise or swelling into euphoric choruses. The influence of French pop, hip hop, and krautrock can be heard in the album’s grooves and arrangements, reflecting Parker’s eclectic tastes.
'Lonerism' was a breakthrough both critically and commercially. It won the 2013 ARIA Award for Album of the Year and was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize. Its success helped cement Tame Impala as a leading force in modern psychedelic music, and it continues to inspire artists across genres.
What he would do next, I don't think even he could expect
Your Popstar's Favourite Rockstar
The two previous Tame Imapla records had received critical acclaim and adulation. Parker was seen as the saviour of rock; 'Elephant' from 'Lonerism' had become a minor alternative hit, receiving airtime on various TV series and commercials.
Following the success of 'Lonerism', Parker continued to write, yet nothing concrete was happening.
The idea to compile his songs into an album came when he had 10-20 songs ready. In May 2014, Parker spoke of his growing inclination toward recording the album in a triple J radio interview, explaining that: "I'm getting more and more sucked into the world of making an album. It's weird how it happens naturally; it almost feels like a seasonal thing. I've started to think about track listings and all the things that come with an album.
These songs were a change, though. There was a shift in mood, a transformation in style, all sparked by a turning point in Parker's life. After breaking up with his girlfriend, French singer-songwriter Melody Prochet, and moving from Paris back to his hometown of Perth, Parker found himself at a crossroads. A heavy night under the influence of magic mushrooms and cocaine, spent listening to the Bee Gees, opened his mind to new possibilities. According to Parker, 'the only rule was to make an attempt to abandon the rules that I've set up in the past.' This included toying with things he considered musically 'cheesy' or taboo, like drum machines and various effects.
The emotional upheaval and sense of freedom that came with these changes permeated his songwriting. He began experimenting with lush synth textures, groovier bass lines and more rhythmic, dance-oriented beats, sounds that would have felt out of place on his earlier guitar-driven records. The new tools and techniques represented the ambiguity and possibility of his personal life, as if he were rebuilding himself and his music from the ground up. Songs that began as intimate missives became widescreen, shimmering explorations of heartbreak, self-discovery and renewal. This spirit of fearless reinvention shaped the sound of 'Currents', resulting in an album that reflected Parker’s evolving identity as an artist and a person.
The album title Currents references the abandoned South Fremantle Power Station, which inspired Parker during the writing process. He recalled, "A lot of the songs on Currents have passages that were directly inspired by the power house and doing laps of it. It is scary and confronting, but such a beautiful thing." Parker also wrote many of the album's lyrics on nearby beaches, including Fremantle's South Beach. "There are many things that seep into your music, and one of them is where you live", he later said. "I suddenly remembered the value of being somewhere serene and beautiful and getting inspired in that way.
The album was recorded, produced, and mixed by Kevin Parker at his beachside home studio in Fremantle, Western Australia. The two-room studio contained a minimal amount of equipment: "a ramshackle drum kit, a guitar covered in duct tape and some battered vintage synths. In an adjoining room, he began designing the light show that would accompany live performances of the album by using automated stage lights on stands.
Recording the album soon became an obsession for Parker, as he worked "all day, every day," growing increasingly isolated. He said, "At some point, life outside the studio fades into the distance. That's how I know that I'm into it." He reasoned that any alternate approach would imply that the music was not powerful enough.
Currents' features styles of psychedelic pop, disco, R&B, and electropop, but the album's chord progressions and rhythms are most indebted to R&B. Parker listened to R&B from the 1990s during recording, a music he had forced himself to reject growing up in Perth, saying in an interview "Music guys aren't allowed to be into R&B when they are teenagers because all the teenybopper kids blast that shit in their cars." As such, learning to let go of preconceptions and embracing the music felt liberating to him." The idea of making this type of pop-oriented music had previously been a turn-off for Parker, as he thought the music critics who now adored him would turn their noses up at it.
The whole record was a labour of love, written and recorded over a number of years, both in the studio and on tour. Parker saved ideas using a voice recorder on his phone and wrote many songs on a drum machine. Guitars are present in every song, but whereas on 'Innerspeaker' and 'Lonerism' they had been the main instrument, on 'Currents' they are used to accompany other instruments. This was because not all of Parker's gear was accessible when coming to record. "We'd finish one tour in say, Europe, go home for two weeks, and all our gear, including my guitars and pedals, would be on their way to South America." He had a larger array of synthesisers at his home studio, making them the prominent instruments. He said, "It's really just whatever is sitting around when I think of the song."
It marked a stark change for Parker, a man who, since the release of 'Lonerism', had gone through a lot, a break-up, being adored by musical critics, a minor hit, and many saying he was the saviour of guitar music. So when he opened his third record with 'Let It Happen', eight transcendent minutes of shifting, zen-like disco that find Parker telling himself to go with the flow and accept change: “It’s all around me, this noise, but/Not nearly as loud as the voice saying/ ‘Let it happen, let it happen’”.
It was a shock to the system, but in the best possible way. Parker's production trickery, caressed with vocoder vocals and Daft Punk drums and synths, but still short, sharp bursts of that guitar work. This was pop music, and very, very good pop music.
Parker follows that bombshell with a dreamy, summer-scented interlude in ‘Nangs’, and another pair of walloping pop tunes in ‘The Moment’ and ‘Yes I’m Changing’. Once again, swooning synths are the order of the day, with the latter (key line: “There’s a world out there and it’s calling me/It’s calling you too”) especially a work of dazzling beauty; the layer-cake arrangement suggesting Parker as a natural heir to Brian Wilson’s studio wizardry.
The Elephant in the room on this record: well, there are no songs like 'Elephant'. Those fuzzed-out guitars were replaced by hip-hop-accented drums, full-bodied bass, and vivid synths. ‘Eventually’, a heartbreak anthem that may or may not be about Parker’s split from Melody’s Echo Chamber’s Melody Prochet, opens with a flurry of guitar chords, before promptly swerving into synth-pop.
Elephant' gave Parker minor success; this album's hit 'The Less I Know the Better', a song offered to Mark Ronson and dismissed by Parker as "dorky white disco-funk", has a groove that's part Hall & Oates and part MJ. It's quite simply one of the 2010s' best ever songs. But what really makes it resonate is its irresistible blend of lush production, infectious bassline, and bittersweet storytelling. The song's slinky, falsetto-laden melody hooks you instantly, while the punchy drums and glimmering synths turn heartbreak into a dancefloor moment.
Lyrically, Parker paints the universal sting of romantic rejection with just the right mix of humour and vulnerability, Trevor's name alone is now iconic in break-up lore. Released at a time when indie and pop were rapidly mixing, 'The Less I Know the Better' became a sort of anthem for feeling left out, but moving forward anyway, making it deeply relatable and endlessly replayable.
'Cause I'm a Man' took Parker over a thousand vocal takes and led to some controversy, with some perceiving the song as sexist. Parker has said that "It's really meant to be interpreted more like 'I'm a man' as in 'I'm a human. I'm merely a man.'" I understand how it can be perceived as sexist, almost misogynistic, but put it this way: I know deep in my heart, I am not in any way sexist. And I knew there would be people who would think that. There was a small part of me that was excited about ruffling some feathers 'cause I never do that, you know? I'm not that kind of person"
The album ends with 'New Person Same Old Mistakes', which sounds like Led Zep riffing on a vintage Aaliyah tune and tests the upper limits of Parker’s ethereal falsetto. A song universally loved by Parker fans old and new, it has the guitars of 'Lonerism' and the pop-oriented sound of where Parker was then and where he was headed. Rihanna would cover this song on 'ANTI' a year later.
Psychedelic pop had gone into a new territory. This wasn't indebted to anyone; it served as notice that Parker wasn't a musical pirate, he was a musical pioneer. He wasn't interested in revivalism or sticking to a script. Tracks like 'Let It Happen' broke all expectations, splicing shifting disco rhythms with electronic glitches that made listeners feel as if the song itself was frozen and rebooting. 'Yes I'm Changing' traded in the fuzzed-out guitars for shimmering synths and lush harmonies that felt utterly new for the genre. Even 'Past Life,' with its pitch-shifted spoken word and warped production, pointed to Parker's refusal to follow tradition, instead forging a path that mixed introspection with a pop sensibility. These moments and more show just how decisively 'Currents' rewrote the rules.
Like all great psychedelic music, it perfectly evokes a deeply weird altered state, albeit that of a head wrecked by grief rather than lysergic acid diethylamide. In fact, it’s strange how similar Parker makes the two seem, describing the fluctuations of misery in ways that the kaftan-clad astral travellers of 1967 would find familiar. Listening to 'Currents', you get the same sense of losing your bearings, of slipping in and out of reality – from the woozy music to the starkness of the lyrics – of moments of sparkling clarity interspersed with moments where you don’t know what the hell’s going on.
Those lyrics centre on personal transition and getting older, with most of the album being autobiographical. His vocals are clearer and less affected than in prior Tame Impala releases, partly because he takes greater pride in his lyrics; he said he hoped listeners would find them easy to understand.
Some have said that the record is a breakup. Several songs on the album examine it from his perspective as the instigator of the breakup, exploring guilt and self-questioning. Parker downplayed the notion that the album was entirely aimed at former lovers, however, and likened it to an inner monologue: "It's really me talking to myself, another part of myself... to my old self, the part of me that resists change and wants me to stay as I am." For Parker, the album meant "looking forward and a sudden adoption of confidence."The album's title reflects this, with currents being "these unstoppable forces; the parts of you that are trying to change you.
The emotional power of Currents comes from its willingness to accept that relationships will expose an introvert’s every character defect. Parker’s lopsided inventory is revealed on 'Eventually,' which exposes the false altruism often used to justify “it’s not you, it’s me.” The structure of the chorus (“But I know that I’ll be happier/And I know you will, too/Eventually”) makes it plain that it’s always about me first. And even if Parker honestly wishes eventual happiness for “you,” he wants it to arrive on his schedule. On 'The Less I Know the Better,' he calls out an ex’s new lover by name and plots his empty revenge (his “Heather” to her “Trevor”). By the next song ('Past Life'), Parker passes her on the street and considers giving her a call, not because he cares or wants to get back together, just because he can. He fools himself into thinking a new routine of picking up dry cleaning and walking around the block, which he enumerates in a mumbled, pitched-down monologue, constitutes a new existence, but it’s all part of the same cycle.
Legacy and Impact
'Currents' received universal acclaim and was ranked highly on end-of-year lists in 2015. Parker had made the jump to pop music. He'd dealt with the changes in his life and the pressures that had been put on him by creating a wide-screen kaleidoscopic masterpiece.
After the success of 'Currents', the list of people eager to work with Parker grew significantly.
In March 2018, Parker worked with American rappers Travis Scott and Kanye West, as well as record producers Pharrell Williams, The Weeknd, Mike Dean, and Reine Fiske on the song 'Skeletons' which would eventually be released by Scott on his 2018 album 'Astroworld'. In October 2018, Parker played bass for rapper Travis Scott for a performance of 'Skeletons/Astrothunder' on Saturday Night Live, with singer-songwriter John Mayer also part of the backing band.
The Less I Know the Better' was voted number one in Triple J's Hottest 100 of the Decade on 14 March 2020. This was Tame Impala's highest ranking in a Hottest 100 Countdown and the first time the project had reached number one in any Hottest 100. (The same song had previously placed fourth in the 2015 Hottest 100.)
Also in March 2020, Parker appeared on The Weeknd's album After Hours, producing and providing background vocals on the track 'Repeat After Me (Interlude)'. At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards in November, Tame Impala won a further five trophies: ‘Album of the Year’, ‘Best Rock Album’, Engineer of the Year', ‘Producer of the Year’ for ‘The Slow Rush’ , as well as ‘Best Group’
Josh Terry of Vice named Tame Impala his "Artist of the Decade" for the 2010s, writing, "No artist captured how genres cross-pollinated throughout the 2010s better than Tame Impala". He added, "In the age of streaming and the big-box festival bubble, Parker's discography seems factory-made for both a crowd of thousands and a chill night alone with a vibe-heavy playlist", and that "his music embodies the technology-driven sense of loneliness of this decade better than any of his peers.
In August 2022, Gorillaz released the song 'New Gold,' featuring Tame Impala
In January 2024, Tame Impala collaborated with Justice on the single 'One Night/All Night' for their album Hyperdrama. On the album's release in April 2024, Tame Impala appeared on another song, 'Neverender'. Parker co-wrote and produced Dua Lipa's third studio album, 'Radical Optimism'. He later joined Lipa onstage during her headline performance at Glastonbury 2024, performing Tame Impala's 'The Less I Know the Better' and Lipa's 'Houdini'.
'Currents' turned Parker into a genuine superstar and placed him at the forefront of all things good in popular music. He was adored by Hip Hop artists for his production, pop stars enlisted him to write and produce their hits, and alternative acts like Gorillaz still sought his services.
That album changed not only Parker's career trajectory but also the way music was written, made, and consumed. Psychedelic music was no longer for stoners and loners; it was for the dancefloor, for festivals, arenas, and your favourite rapper and pop star adored it. The impact of 'Currents' could soon be felt everywhere: indie bands like MGMT, Blossoms, DMA's and even Arctic Monkeys began to embrace more electronic textures and dance influences, while pop artists such as Dua Lipa and The Weeknd actively sought out Parker’s production style.
Even genres like hip-hop and R&B, from Travis Scott's collaborations with Tame Impala to the shimmering synths of new artists, drew inspiration from 'Currents' lush, hybrid approach. Its blend of genres arguably helped usher in a new era where the boundaries between rock, pop, and electronic music blurred completely. Kevin Parker is the reason for that change, and whatever he does now, you'll listen; we all will.
Over 13 songs and 51 minutes, Kevin Parker fused his obsessive nature and production trickery with a love for The Beatles, synths, and a newfound passion for R&B to create something uniquely his own. 'Currents' is an audiophile’s dream and a teenager’s gateway into the avant-garde; it is the soundtrack of a great night out and a kaleidoscopic mixture of Michael Jackson, Daft Punk, and Led Zeppelin. While it functions as a breakup record addressing his split from Melody Prochet, it also chronicles Parker’s departure from the guitar, as he lets go of the instrument that defined his early career. It is staggering to consider that such a massive sound was engineered by one man in one of the most remote places on Earth.
Ultimately, 'Currents' serves as Parker’s most convincing case for solitude: he understands that perfection is achieved within the studio, while progress remains the ultimate goal outside of it.
This record stands as one of the most important albums in recent memory, serving as a cornerstone and a watershed moment for an entire generation. I was fifteen when 'Currents' was released, and over a decade later, it remains one of my most treasured records. The question of whether it surpasses his first two albums is irrelevant because it occupies a different stratosphere entirely. It is the work of a supernaturally talented obsessive redefining his relationship with his craft: Parker invests more care into a single vocal take or drum fill than most bands manage in a lifetime.
'Currents' captures the sound of Kevin Parker finding freedom in the unknown. In doing so, he invited the world to join him on an exhilarating ride: an invitation that was accepted by a generation of indie kids, Dua Lipa, Rhianna, Kanye West, and Travis Scott.
Thank you for reading
Jack