Perth band Tame Impala finally released their long-awaited debut EP Innerspeaker last week on Modular Records. The record deservedly picked up Triple J‘s Feature Album spot last week and has been getting some heavy airtime across radio and currently features in the top 5 most blogged about artists on Hypem. Not bad hype at all for a young Aussie psych-rock band from the world’s most remote township.
I first heard about Impala towards the end of 2008 when a friend suggested I check them out down at the Meredith Music Festival I was attending. Unfortunately the Perth boys opened the second day’s music at some indecent hour like 9am so I missed the show, but since then have been keeping an ear closely set to the output from the group. Usually the derivative and formulaic sound of psychedelic music isn’t my cup of tea but the inevitable comparisons to the White Album and Pink Floyd suggest there is real quality. And so it is proved with Innerspeaker.
First single off the record is Solitude Is Bliss, which I actually really fucking dig. The track starts with a driving guitar riff modulated by the mandatory reverb and delay effects to be expected in trippy psychedelic music. Accompanied by a tight drum beat and bass line with vocals remarkably mature in sound, this is a tight track. The quality composition of the song really shines through and does the record justice as the leading single.
Next is the epic Runway, Houses, City, Clouds or RHCC for simplicity (not to be confused with RHCP). This song sounds like the quintessential psych-trip chill track that is mellow enough to motivate anyone to dabble in mind-bending stimulants (drug use not endorsed). Airy guitar, pumping drums and drawn out melodies feature again. After an orbital synth solo the track’s tempo diminishes and a chilled jam drains out the remaining three minutes. The superb contrast between driving 60’s rock and laid back grooves makes for a superb track.
Ultimately I think this is a very exciting Australian release however I do worry that these guys might evolve to the same regrettable level as fallen Aussie “rock gods” Wolfmother. The group once hailed for their modernising 70’s hard-rock are now simply disregarded as formulaic and irrelevant. Hopefully a similar fate is not set for Tame Impala and the hype of 60’s psych does not fall by the wayside.
You can purchase Innerspeaker from Modular here.
Each bandmember has also tried their hand at some mini-mixtapes with the 4th and final edition being released only 2 days ago and available here. Pretty cool concept from a non-electro band that doesn’t do “remixes”. Supertramp, YES, pretty cool.
Happy Music 