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Tame Impala''s psychedelic third album Currents (2015) is emblematic of a cultural shift in music production and consumption in the early days of streaming and a project that cemented its creator, Kevin Parker, as one of Australian music''s most unlikely success stories and influential exports. Currents marked a conscious shift in sound and attitude for its creator, West Australian polymath Kevin Parker, resisting his role as psych rock savior to embrace soul, disco, funk and his latent pop instincts. The result was Tame Impala''s most popular and influential album, transforming them into festival-headlining, internet-famous Gen Z idols and turning the ear of popular acts, from Rihanna and Lady Gaga to Travis Scott and Dua Lipa. Parker''s increasingly substantial credits as a collaborative producer and songwriter, with the likes of these artists as well as The Weeknd, Mark Ronson, Justic, Gorillaz and many more, served to enshrine him as a modern architect of pop music. Not bad for a shy, shaggy teen who used to lurk in basement Perth venues and play gigs with a towel on his head. This book dives deep into Currents , examining its context, creation, content, and lasting impact and importance in the history of Australian popular music. The album''s themes of metamorphosis and genre-blurring sound embodied (and possibly encouraged) a wider shift in the 2010s of popular music trends, consumption, and listening habits.
List of contents
Preface
AcknowledgementsIntroduction
1. Past Life: A potted biography
2. Powerlines: The importance of Perth
3. B.C. (Before Currents)
4. Yes I'm Changing: track-by-track analysis
5. Eventually: Currents as 'break-off' album
6. A.C. (After Currents)
7. A Few Final Thoughts
Notes
References
Index
About the author
Al Newstead is a music and pop culture reporter for Australian digital radio station Double J and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). He was previously the long-term music editor and news reporter for national youth broadcaster triple j. He is also a freelance music journalist and non-professional musician.
