Top 20 albums of 2012 #6: Tame Impala - Lonerism
- By Philip Goodfellow -
- Dec 19, 2012
From the infectious urgency of opening track 'Be Above It' and the sleazy groove of 'Mind Mischief' to the summery verve of 'Music To Walk Home By' and the sublime 'Feels Like We Only Go Backwards', Tame Impala's 'Lonerism' wears its derivation on its sleeve whilst simultaneously being something extremely fresh and exciting. Completely joyous.
What they said:
"It's more a reflection of how far The Beatles could have gone on exploring the psychedelic direction of their '66/'67 purple patch, and a reflection of how, today, it's possible for one man, working largely alone, to match what was once the pinnacle of pioneering sound produced by the greatest band ever in the world's most famous studio. 'Tomorrow Never Knows' came from experiments with psychedelic substances; 'Lonerism' is escapism that comes from a desperate place. Is this feat – and this brilliant album – what the term 'splendid isolation' means?" NME
"People tend to describe Parker's melodies as Lennonesque, which in the era of Beady Eye sounds an oddly backhanded compliment, like shorthand for saying he's not trying at all. But the Lennon he evokes is the author of Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Julia, blessed with an innate pop sensibility, but always searching for the unforeseen chord, the unexpected melodic shift. Ultimately, on Elephant's warped bovver-glam or the unsettling mix of piano ballad and ferociously noisy guitar soloing that is album closer Sun's Coming Up, Tame Impala just sound like Tame Impala: delving into the past in order to drag it into the future. No wonder the man at the centre of it all has a hard time describing what he's doing." The Guardian
"All these rich sounds serve as an alternate take on anticipating technological encroachment, that humanity and technology aren't necessarily at war. You feel small while listening to Lonerism, but in a way that makes you appreciate how man, machine, and Mother Nature can harmonize. Lonerism is portable and joyous in an unforced way, a soundtrack for the times when you're walking downtown and look up at a collection of skyscrapers, or driving through a mountain pass on an interstate or even looking at a Ferris wheel next to an ocean thinking, "Holy shit, how did this all get here?" Pitchfork
Top 20 albums of 2012 #20: Cat Power - Sun
Top 20 albums of 2012 #19: Crystal Castles - (III)
Top 20 albums of 2012 #18: Tom Williams & The Boat - Teenage Blood
Top 20 albums of 2012 #17: The Weeknd - The Trilogy
Top 20 albums of 2012 #16: Grizzly Bear - Shields
Top 20 albums of 2012 #15: John Talabot - ƒIN
Top 20 albums of 2012 #14: Kendrick Lamar - good kid m.A.A.d city
Top 20 albums of 2012 #13: Plan B - Ill Manors
Top 20 albums of 2012 #12: Muse - The 2nd Law
Top 20 albums of 2012 #11: Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
Top 20 albums of 2012 #10: Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan
Top 20 albums of 2012 #9: Actress - R.I.P
Top 20 albums of 2012 #8: Mumford & Sons – Babel
Top 20 albums of 2012 #7: TOY - TOY
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