A five year wait for a new Tame Impala album ended last month when Kevin Parker gave the world The Slow Rush. I gave it a listen on Valentine’s Day (that’s the day it was released on). I’ve given it a few more since. And I have come to my conclusion that it just doesn’t hit the sweet spot for me. ‘It Might Be Time’ is probably my favourite song on there. As Parker moves towards his pop-oriented singer-songwriter , it felt like the whole album was missing a proper groove. There weren’t many interesting rhythms that were always so present on the preceding three albums.

The majority of the time, the bass guitar has been a major melodic element in Tame Impala songs. ‘The Less I Know the Better’ is a prime example where the instrument takes the centre stage. There are many others too. Some of which I’ve written about. ‘Keep on Lying’ is another in which the the rhythm section is just as, if not more interesting than the vocals and production that surrounds it.

Parker sings about being a terrible person who can’t stop lying to their other half, hiding important information and generally causing emotional distress. In the end, he’s left alone to face the truth that ‘it never really was love’. That is in the first minute and 45 seconds of the track. What follows for almost the duration is an instrumental passage led by a thick bassline, dueling guitar riffs, organ solos and keyboard vamps which are sometimes drowned out by sped-up and spun round clips of people having conversations. It gets crazier and crazier as the song goes on and on before a guitar suddenly starts freaking out at the four minute mark. And just when the track is about to close its first verse comes back in again, I guess to signify the repeating nature in which Parker will just continue to lie to the next lady he meets.

This song’s a jam. Not to say that Kevin Parker has to make another Lonerism. We already have one. It’s done. But, for me, if there weren moments that matched this music on The Slow Rush…. I would have enjoyed it more by a large margin.