The Slow Rush
by Tame Impala

From corenfro TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/11/2020 19:45 | #247691 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

If you were to extrapolate what you'd expect an album like this to sound like given Tame Impala's trajectory from Innerspeaker -> Lonerism -> Currents, The Slow Rush is what you'd expect. For that reason I don't anticipate critics to really go crazy over this. It's not a huge departure from the sounds from Currents, in some places it sounds like he used the same synth settings as some tracks from Currents, but he does bring in even more new sounds and mixing techniques into, whether it's woodwinds or congas or miscellaneous percussive sounds or just using his voice in wild ways (which is hardly new for him).

That said, Kevin Parker is as talented at production/arrangement/mixing as anyone out there. Hendrix had the guitar and KP has Ableton. He's an artist that just doesn't release anything that isn't meticulously crafted and detailed. He's not going to convert fans on this one like he did on Currents and similarly if you're a stoned hippie longing for the days of innerspeaker and lonerism dunga dunga throwback 60's sound you might want to look elsewhere. That said, I think it is better than currents, songs like Posthumous Fogiveness and One More Hour showcase him returning to the more lengthy adventurous song structures from Lonerism and Currents didn't have a ton of that outside of Let it Happen (which I still think is more long than it is really complex albeit still being a fantastic song) and it has some of his best most diverse sounding production and catchy pop hooks on it as well.

Move along, there's really nothing to see here. Just an all-time great padding his stats with another quality piece of art.

From LedZep TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/23/2020 00:54 | #248164 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Gave it 3 listens since it dropped, didn’t want to dismiss it after just 1 listen. So now I’m dismissing it after 3 listens. It’s a big drop in quality after solid Currents, which was in turn a big drop in quality from Lonerism. So yeah, I’m in that fan camp. If it wasn’t for adventurous and unique production, this would be any random band’s mediocre synthpop album. Instead it’s Tame Impala’s mediocre album, which is better I guess. Parker’s voice was never less tangible and emotional, lyrics are the worst he’s written yet and it’s not nearly as catchy/well-written as Currents. I’d still recommend listening to it exactly once on a nice pair of headphones, the production is that good. And I’m still excited for Parker’s future projects too.

As a Tame Impala fan from day one this album is basic. I think it's catchy, sure. But as my standards as a day one fan have climbed the mountains of Kevin's continuous exploration as a writer, this album left a lot to be desired. Where his past albums were rock perfection, breaking the boundaries of rock and pop, this album is a cop out disco album. 40/100

From Cargusbralem 02/17/2020 16:24 | #247892 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

My favorite artist from last decade is back with another psychedelic piece of art. While it’s not the apex of his career, it is certainly far from derailing.

As expected, the production is impeccable, and it makes sense that it took him 5 years to release this. I don’t doubt Parker is an extremely meticulous man, and somewhat of a perfectionist. With each release, his focus on production increases significantly, and The Slow Rush is no exception, even having Currents as a predecessor.

It doesn’t start off too strongly and neither does it close very climatically in my opinion, but everything in between is mostly pretty great, with plenty of bangers and highlights. There is a mixture of straightforward and catchy songs (e.g. Borderline, Lost in Yesterday, Is It True), as well as some that might take a little longer to digest (e.g. Posthumous Forgiveness, One More Year, One More Hour). The singles gave a good idea of what was to come, but there were so many of them that I felt like they partially spoiled the album. Nevertheless, there were a few pleasant surprises within the full album experience.

Occasionally, as in previous albums, Kevin will goof around with his instruments and psychedelic effects for a couple of minutes, which is becoming some sort of signature element in his albums’ and some songs’ structures. I mostly enjoy these little moments, it’s like a showcase of soundscapes that Kevin has the skill to create. I particulary love what he did at the end of Breathe Deeper. Sometimes I wish these things were complete songs but we can’t have everything.

Lyrics are personal and straight to the point as usual, but no longer about social anxiety or unrequited love. They're more about nostalgia, thoughts on career, and some personal things of a much deeper nature than usual. As much as I usually enjoy Tame Impala’s lyrics, I don’t know why I felt them kind of awkward at times (e.g. Instant Destiny).

Previously, Tame Impala’s sound had been evolving very clearly from one album to the next. This time it feels like he’s got one foot on Currents, and another one on whatever might come next. Lonerism’s vibe did show a little bit as well, but no trace of Innerspeaker. Congas are a welcome addition to Parker’s music palette. We got a taste of it in the Patience single and I was looking forward to hear some more on the album. Luckily it wasn’t overused or anything, and it reinforces the undeniable groove that most songs deliver.

Overall great album, (8/10) but my least favorite so far. For me his best work is Lonerism (10/10), followed by Innerspeaker (9/10) and Currents (another 8/10). Multiple listens required, I’ve listened to it 4 times for this review and I hope it helps.

Favorites: Lost in Yesterday, Breathe Deeper, Is It True, It Might Be Time

A real disappointment of an album. Found myself wanting to skip most of the tracks on the album. If it grows on me, I'll revisit these pages and give a reappraisal, but at this moment in time, I really can't see it.. Poor!