Earlier this month, Tame Impala, a now-solo act consisting of frontman Kevin Parker, released his fourth studio album, The Slow Rush. This album has a history of struggles, however; a number of events have postponed, improved, and cultivated this album to the product we see now. Despite the complications behind the release of this album, Parker delivered a riveting, calm, and psychedelic sound that is both well received and considered a shining follow up to his last album.
Currents, released in 2015, was Parker’s best selling album to date; one of the songs on the track, Let it Happen, went gold, while another, The Less I Know The Better, went platinum, according to RIAA certifications. The latter song’s unexpected popularity brought Parker to the forefront of the indie music scene, and he is now one of the most recognizable alternative artists in music.
After the success of Currents, fans were eager to see what else Parker had in store. Soon after, it was confirmed that Parker was working on his next album and could be expected to release in early to mid-2019. Despite the seemingly solid plans in place for the album, complications arose that kept Parker from releasing the album in time. One such complication was the California wildfires, and the havoc they caused on local communities. The fire reached the home Parker was working from in Malibu, he was left in a daze and had to recoup so he could continue from where he left off in a separate location. What he had worked on thus far was safe, but the fire did set him back a while as he set up a new place with new equipment to focus on the album. From then, Parker moved with haste to pick up where he left off.
After the fire and the release of several singles, Parker then began rethinking some of the songs he had made for the album, including ones that had already been released. Although he had originally planned to release the album before he headlined Coachella, he felt that it wasnt ready and still needed revisions. He made revisions up until its release, the most notable being Patience, the first single released from the album. The first draft and the final release have starkly different sounds, and considering the acclaim the album has seen thus far, it was wise of Parker to fine tune the track and album to perfection.
All in all, The Slow Rush was met with complications and internal conflicts, but the wit was well worth it. The album has received overwhelmingly positive ratings across the board from multiple music magazines and critics. Currents was a tough act to follow, but Parker not only met and exceeded standards, but gave a new perspective on his artistic vision and an interesting new take on his sound. Critics and fans alike are surely excited to see what Parker does next.