Tag Archives: innerspeaker

#781: Tame Impala – Lucidity

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Going through Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker many moons ago, I didn’t think ‘Lucidity’ was anything special. Unlike ‘It Is Not Meant to Be’ or ‘I Really Don’t Mind’, which I thought were great from first listen, ‘Lucidity’ didn’t have that feeling you get when you stumble upon something special. It has a good driving tempo, nice swirling psychedelic guitar effects, and falling-down-the-stair drum fills that make for a very active listening experience. Still, I more or less left it for another day and went about listening to other stuff.

One day I saw that the track had a music video. I was on my Tame Impala tip, still discovering who the band was and finding out more about Kevin Parker’s work, so I had a look. I think it was through watching it when the track suddenly clicked. It’s one of those videos that make such a perfect accompaniment with the music that you can’t imagine one without the other. The video is filmed by a camera that was attached to a huge weather balloon. Once the balloon’s let go by Parker right at the beginning, the video follows the balloon’s journey into sky and eventually into space before it comes hurtling down towards the ground again. Its erratic movements and motions work too well with the song’s rhythms and lyrics where mentions of floating and reaching the sky arise in the verses. The track’s lyrics were written in the mixing stage of the album so whether there should be a serious effort for interpretation is up for debate. However, I take it that the song is simply about a person who suffers from lapses in concentration and in that state wishes to get to a clearer mind space. There’s not a very linear narration to it, so it’s hard to tell.

So that’s all the songs from Innerspeaker you’ll see on here. Shout out to ‘I Don’t Really Mind’ though; that should have got its own post… but I think I suffered from a lapse of concentration there myself. If you would like to see more about the video for ‘Lucidity’, Tame Impala luckily uploaded a ‘behind the scenes’ video on the making of it some time after the track’s release as a single.

#648: Tame Impala – It Is Not Meant to Be

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‘It Is Not Meant to Be’ is the first track on Tame Impala’s debut album Innerspeaker, released almost ten years ago…. If I remember right, that particular was the second of the “group”‘s that I listened to following Lonerism when I was in my last year of sixth form. Compared to that album, it was apparent that there was a lot more focus on the guitars and some good riffs. A lot less synthesizer work. But it was all still some great music for this guy in 2012/13.

Probably down as one of the best introductions to an album in my music library, ‘It Is Not Meant to Be’ grabbed me right away with its thick bassline and phasing guitars that repeat on and on for a minute and 20 seconds before the vocals eventually come in. If that section were its own track I wouldn’t be too upset. It’s very hypnotizing. But then Kevin Parker arrives and tells the listener about a girl he’s had his eye on and who is way out of his league, much to his reluctant acknowledgment. And that’s something a lot of guys have been through, right? I know I have.

But it’s not just because of its relatability that I dig this track. It just sounds so good. When I listen to it, I see…. trees of green, the sun. I sense a summery feeling but its surrounded by a mystic haze. Like I’m lying in a field. And then when the chorus hits I’m lifted to a whole other level. It’s a warm, comfortable listen that carries a heavy weight but won’t do you any harm in the long run. It’s definitely a smooth way to start off a discography.