Tame Impala’s highly anticipated fourth LP presents itself as a reflection of Kevin Parker’s growth as both a musician and producer.
The release of The Slow Rush marks the ten-year anniversary of Tame Impala’s eclectic and genre defying debut, Innerspeaker, shifting the vision of the project from being more experimental to more concise.
Kevin Parker, the multifaceted musician and producer who releases his work under Tame Impala, has easily become one of the most sought-after producers of the decade. Having completed The Slow Rush shortly after working on various collaborative projects with artists such as Lady Gaga, Theophilus London, Travis Scott, Kali Uchis and Miguel, Parker explored new production techniques that are specific to pop and hip hop music.
One of the most remarkable elements of The Slow Rush is the increased use of percussion, which compliments the over-the-top layering, different textures and heavily distorted arrangements within each track. There is also a pleasant contrast throughout the album between the lengthy idiosyncratic compositions such as “It Might be Time,” “Posthumous Forgiveness,” and the powerful and endlessly replayable pop anthems like “Breathe Deeper,” which Parker describes on streaming services as his most “Mariah Carey-esque” track.
The overarching theme of the record aligns with the concept of time and how it affects different relationships, which is apparent with the album commencing with “One More Year,” and culminating with “One More Hour.”
Overall, The Slow Rush shows how much Kevin Parker has evolved in his musicianship and will undoubtedly make for an epic live performance.
Rating: 10/10
Trial Track: “Tomorrow’s Dust”
