Innerspeaker // Tame Impala

I’ve noticed a lot in recent times that there’s been an interest within many genres to bring back the lost sounds of a certain era and apply them in a new way. The sound, or at least interpretation, of psychedelic rock has only really found one or two embodiments to show its power in current music. MGMT is one of these bands, who took their already wonderful pop/synth/rock sound, and applied a layer of psych to it on their sophomore album Congratulations. The second band, which has far less exposure, is Tame Impala.

The band hails from Perth, Australia and released their self titled studio EP back in 2008. When I first got a hold of it, after it floated around the internet for a few months, I was both excited and wary of their sound. On one hand, I was really glad to see that psychedelic rock was getting some representation in modern music (this is before Congratulations,) but I was also concerned that they might simply be on  some sort of nostalgia kick, just some band that would borrow the usual psych hooks and themes and simply apply them to their sound. After tracking back through most psych rock that I knew, I found that yes, it certainly did connect with the usual sounds found in previous psych rock bands, but it really went the extra mile in being an embodiment of a sound they certainly have placed their own spin on. There’s certainly all of those sounds you would find on pervious psych rock records, but there’s things there that you would only ever really hear today, like some break-neck drumming, and synths that twist through tracks like it’s nobody’s business. One thing that really jumped out at me about the EP was the style in which it was recorded. This is where the band has really strived to keep a 60s sound for their music. To put it plainly, that record seemed to have been recorded in a cardboard box, and it not only complimented the music, but I can imagine the music actually being worse if it didn’t use the intriguing recording style that it did. On Innerspeaker there’s a far crisper sound, but it doesn’t take away from the sound, and their tone is maintained.

There’s plenty of purely improvised soloing, and the band plays off one another perfectly. It seems like they’re a wonderful combination, and when they break away from the song structure on many tracks is when some really great stuff happens. Some fantastic guitar tones come in different flavors and riffs, but they all come from that era of rock, which really shows their consistency. The vocals aren’t very varied through a lot of the songs, but it doesn’t seem to be too much of an issue. The reverb placed over the frontman’s voice only compliments the music, and it’s easy to find yourself humming along to the music. The ghostly nature of the vocals and even the instruments themselves really make the music envelope itself around you, so it certainly helps to listen to it on some big speakers, or bassy headphones.
One thing that really really impresses me about the album on the whole is the massive, funky, infectious bass guitar that runs through many of the tracks. It brings a whole new layer of funk to the record, and it just makes the whole psychedelic sound even more accessible and enjoyable.

Basically, what I’m trying to say here is, you need to listen to this record. If you miss the days of The Seeds, The Doors, The Byrds then Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker is certainly something you want to be pumping through your headphones or speakers very soon. Pick it up, have a listen, be amazed. This is Tame Impala.