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Currents
by Tame Impala is
out now via Universal.
washed ballad
Love Paranoia
,
eight-minute clap-along
opener
Let It Happen
, and the
standout
‘Cause I’m a Man
(which has its own super cute
The Muppets
-inspired clip).
“It’s just about a bloke who’s
behaving badly and is making
every excuse he can!” Parker
says of the single. “He’s
just lazy, probably been
caught trying to get away with something he
shouldn’t, and the only thing he can say in
response is ‘Meh, f*ck it, I’m a man, sorry.’”
The other beacon of the album is
Past Life
,
which spotlights a strange spoken word story
in which the protagonist sees a figure in his
rear-view mirror which he recognises as a
girl he used to know, who was “somewhere
between a lover and a friend.”
“Yes, it’s me,” Parker responds to the
question of whether the
warped voice is his own. “I
wrote the words, the story…
and when it came to do the
music, slowing down the
voice and making it more of
a spoken track – rather than
singing – just seemed to fit.
It’s a fairly true-to-life tale
when you get down to it... it
is all true, what happens in
that song.”
And that’s the kicker: you can believe him
because Parker hasn’t compromised with
anyone – there’s no one to compromise
with
, in Tame Impala Land. Straight from the
horse’s mouth, we think you’re
going to love it.
It is all true,
what happens
in [Past Life]
PAST LIFE
This lethargically-delivered story
of recognising a past lover in
a fleeting moment has a really
otherwordly vibe, stemming
from the deeply slackened voice
and impeccable production,
despite the conversational tone.
Parker's protagonist mentions
picking up drycleaning and
how he has developed his own
little routine, before the synths
crunch low and slow into the
beautiful chorus.
EVENTUALLY
ClassicTame Impala: a sweet,
airy verse, and then you're flung
into a brief but massive synth
chorus with a bassline you can
set your watch to.Warning: the
refrain will get stuck in your
head – "But I know that I'll be
happier/and I know you will
too."
'CAUSE I'M A MAN
Did you think this one had a
feminist bent to it? No, silly,
Parker was mocking men:
"Oh! Um... oh! No!That song
isn't supposed to be taken
that seriously... I'm not trying
to make any kind of 'serious
statement' or anything.The
song is more of a pisstake of
men who act that way."
CURRENTS'
C
lips with puppets are basically
always awesome: see Lily Allen's
Alfie
, Zeus'
Are you Gonna Waste My
Time?
, Supergrass'
Pumping On Your
Stereo
, Ed Sheeran's
Sing
, Genesis'
Land
of Confusion
, and of course Mr Oizo's
Flat Beat
. Single
'Cause I'm a Man
has
itself two videos; the second, touted
as a special 'live' version, depicts the
entire Tame Impala band as Muppet-
like felt monsters performing the song
on stage. However, the original video
is something very unique in its own
right. In an entirely pointy CGI, surreal
landscape, the 'camera' slowly revolves
around a faceless, suited figure as he
stands amongst a teeming city scene,
falls through the air and slides across
geometric objects, embraces a female
figure and is buried under a sculptured
pile of red and blue pills. It's part
Mad
Men
credits intro, part Radiohead's
Pyramid Song
. "I do love what was done
for that
'Cause I'm a Man
clip," Parker
says. "Simple ideas are often the hardest
ideas to get right, and that's a simple
idea – with the models, and how they
move, they completely nailed it."
089
MUSIC
COVER FEATURE
MAD
MUPPET MEN