On February 14, the popular psychedelic band Tame Impala released their fourth album titled “The Slow Rush.” The album features 12 songs, four of which have already been pre-released. 

Tame Impala is an Australian band formed in 2007 and has one core member, Kevin Parker, who plays guitar and vocals. Other members include Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, Cam Avery and Julien Barbagallo. The band’s alternative music is usually called psychedelic pop, also known as acid punk. Tame Impala is known for their trippy music and catchy singles such as “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” released in 2012. 

The highly anticipated new album features the four released singles and eight new songs, all of which have been met with high praise from different reviewers. 

News of an upcoming album began when the band released the song “Borderline” in March of 2019. Other previews of the album’s songs have been released, and the full album is now available on all music platforms. 

As an avid listener of Tame Impala for around four years, I can safely say that “The Slow Rush” did not disappoint. The album is full of new rhythms and melodies that are unique to Tame Impala but do not sound too similar to their previous music. What differs “The Slow Rush” from Tame Impala’s other albums is the intensity of the songs and the overall nostalgia the album evokes. 

“The Slow Rush” has quickly become my most played album since its release. It’s interesting to listen to how Tame Impala has grown as a band, from the mostly instrumental album “Innerspeaker” to the electric album “Currents.” “The Slow Rush” sounds like a beachy album, full of slow bass and steady beats. 

My personal favorite song from the album is “Tomorrow’s Dust,” a light acoustic song that also features electric guitar and psychedelic sounds. One thing that I enjoy about Tame Impala is that the band mixes powerful lyrics with unique electric sounds, and this song does that perfectly. “One More Year,” my second favorite song from the album, also has a theme of nostalgia, a love song about having to wait to be together, but still loving the person just the same. 

Lastly “Posthumous Forgiveness,” one of the album’s singles, is a fast-paced song that is slightly chaotic. Similar to other Tame Impala songs, this single goes through several stages, a leisurely beginning that builds into a jumble of rhythms to a slow and romantic end. 

As for my least liked songs, “One More Hour,” the longest song off the album, is a slower song with repetitive sounds. Tame Impala is very familiar with songs that are mostly instrumental and vocals that flow in and out of focus. “One More Hour” has this sort of persona, but does sound very similar to Tame Impala’s past music. 

With an album cover showing a sand-dune flooded house, it is both aesthetically and aurally pleasing. 

“The Slow Rush” overall is a great album that I highly encourage any alternative or Tame Impala fan to listen to.