“The Slow Rush” by Tame Impala

By James Schaak

The pressure on Tame Impala after mainstream success (Kevin Parker’s A-list collaborations, Max Martin aspirations, and a Rihanna cover), combined with a series of lackluster singles leading up to “The Slow Rush,” suggested that this could be Tame Impala’s first mediocre album. Songs like “Borderline” and “It Might Be Time” sounded reminiscent of Parker’s masterpieces but lacked the unpredictability that fans crave from him. These singles threatened to subjugate this album to Spotify playlists titled “chill vibes” rather than to realms of creativity and substance that earned Tame Impala its fame. 

However, “The Slow Rush” is not a mediocre album. It’s quite good. The album’s opener, “One More Year,” instantly entices with its house beat, and by the time the listener revisits “Borderline,” the third song on the record, they’ll realize that Parker has tightened up the song since it was released ten months ago. Although “Borderline” is the only one of the four singles on the album that has been edited since their release, they don’t bog down the album. When supplanted with the deep cuts, the singles make more sense as they play into the overarching theme of time.

Throughout the rest of the album, Parker continues to amalgamate rock, hip-hop, and R&B, perhaps a result of his recent collaborations. Other highlights include the groovy, Pharell Williams-inspired “Breathe Deeper” and the maximalist, seven-minute closer “One More Hour.” 

Once again, Parker has provided a noteworthy piece of psychedelia that delivers on his signature chill vibes without sacrificing his ingenuity.