Isolation is an odd and delicate asset to a person. Too much can drive one out of their mind, and too little can keep one from home, and strip one of the ability to reflect and grow. The perfect amount, though, can unlock new areas of creativity and self-growth. Balancing time spent with oneself and the inherent need to connect with your fellow humans is not a science, and there is no telling when one should give more attention to the other. There is a difference between being alone and being lonely, and ten years ago, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker mastered the art of being alone.
On July 17, 2015, Australian psych-rock outfit Tame Impala released their third studio album, Currents. The monumental 13-song cultural powerhouse was written, performed, produced, and mixed by Parker himself over a three-year period, both at home and while on tour. Currents continues to remain a powerful cultural moment in modern music, thanks in part to the isolated recording sessions, self-reliance, and a plethora of personal truths that came to the surface for Parker all at once. Currents marked a significant shift for Parker and Tame Impala, as they broke the psychedelic rock mold they created for themselves and emerged with a pop-tinted, R&B-leaning piece of undeniable music.
On his third album under the Tame Impala moniker, Parker shed himself of any preconceived notions and genre norms, creating an album that captured a moment in time and exaggerated it. The story goes that Parker holed himself up in his home studio and labored over these songs, forcing the release date of Currents to be pushed back two months. On previous Tame Impala records, Parker has stressed about upsetting indie music heads by incorporating elements of pop and R&B into his psych-rock cacophony, two genres that are typically dismissed by those who favor the “underground” sound. The isolation required to create an album like Currents takes on more meaning than one when you factor in the idea of Parker ridding himself of these anxieties, forcing himself to dig deep inward and trust his instincts.
Currents is possibly the closest thing we will get to an autobiography of Parker. Underneath the lush, sprawling, rich arrangements that explode with technicolored elegance, Parker is struggling with the battles that come with aging and identity. There is a level of vulnerability on Currents that was absent from previous Tame Impala releases, as evident in emotional moments like the soaring, synth-heavy “Eventually” and the bouncy melodies and bubbly textures of “The Moment.” Parker’s vocals can be heard more clearly than before as well, allowing the complex emotions explored on “‘Cause I’m a Man” to be even more palpable, and the warping textures and heartfelt yet earth-shattering realizations on “Yes I’m Changing” to provide a hallucinatory experience.
Tame Impala’s Currents continues to stand as a monument to modern music. Parker’s autobiographical masterpiece was just on the Billboard charts in 2024, hitting 148 on the Billboard 200 and reaching the top 20 on the ARIA charts (Australian vinyl sales charts). Currents was a critic’s dream upon release, receiving near-perfect scores from Spin, Pitchfork, Paste, and a perfect five-star rating from The Guardian. A decade after its release, Currents remains the emotional, twisted, heartfelt cornerstone of Tame Impala’s sonic world, cementing Parker’s spot as one of the most celebrated musicians of his era.
