Today’s Sounds: Tame Impala

Record:

Tame Impala, Lonerism (Modular)

 
There’s plenty of fun with flangers, faders, reverb and rhythm on this record, which sounds like an obscure psychedelic side produced by a 21st century time traveller trapped in 1970. The melodic arcs, vocal styles, textures and even techniques may sound familiar, but the way they’re stacked and rolled out is all too modern.

That’s right. Even though Roxy Music-era Brian Eno could have very likely reproduced any of Tame Impala’s sounds with his primitive synths and other oversized machines, the record is too aggressive, obscure and electronic to have been accepted (or even released) in the ’60s and ’70s. Think of it as a bridge between hippies and hipsters, from vintage Haight-Ashbury, the dawn of the Glastonbury festival and contemporary Williamsburg.

That said, the Animal Collective set might be disappointed by the prominence of pop in the songwriting here, as much as they may enjoy the way it’s drawn out with endless repetition, submerged by generous heaps of sonic abstraction and propelled by rhythm that’s practically predatory.

If you’re familiar with “Elephant,” the first of this album’s tracks to be revealed by these Australian bros back in the summer, it’s not exactly representative of the rest of the record. Its electro-fied glam-rock stomp and California blues riffage is more suggestive of artists like Goldfrapp and Pop Levi, and those aren’t criticisms, coming from me — it’s a great song. But hearing all their tricks unfurled on a long-player makes that saucy glam vamp all the sweeter when it swoops in at track nine.

Hear the record for yourself over here.
 

Track:

Toro Y Moi, “So Many Details”

 
In January, Carpark will release Anything in Return, Chaz Bundick’s follow-up to 2011’s Underneath the Pine. But this alt-R&B single’s out a little sooner (on the Black Friday edition of Record Store Day, Nov. 23), on seven-inch vinyl, backed by a remix feat. Odd Future’s Hodgy Beats.
 

 

Video:

Statue Park, “Shackleton”

 
It’s Montreal’s own Statue Park, and a lovesick pop song about missed connections. The seven-inch single comes out Nov. 6, and the band opens for Human Human (formerly Girl) and Hands & Teeth tomorrow, Tuesday, Oct. 16, at Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent), 8:30 p.m., $10/$12.