STACK #130 Aug 2016

COVER FEATURE

MUSIC

CURRENTS'

PAST LIFE This lethargically-delivered story of recognising a past lover in a fleeting moment has a really otherwordly vibe, stemming from the deeply slackened voice and impeccable production, despite the conversational tone. Parker's protagonist mentions picking up drycleaning and how he has developed his own little routine, before the synths crunch low and slow into the beautiful chorus. EVENTUALLY ClassicTame Impala: a sweet, airy verse, and then you're flung into a brief but massive synth chorus with a bassline you can set your watch to.Warning: the refrain will get stuck in your head – "But I know that I'll be happier/and I know you will too." 'CAUSE I'M A MAN Did you think this one had a feminist bent to it? No, silly, Parker was mocking men: "Oh! Um... oh! No!That song isn't supposed to be taken that seriously... I'm not trying to make any kind of 'serious statement' or anything.The song is more of a pisstake of men who act that way."

question of whether the warped voice is his own. “I wrote the words, the story… and when it came to do the music, slowing down the voice and making it more of a spoken track – rather than singing – just seemed to fit. It’s a fairly true-to-life tale when you get down to it... it is all true, what happens in

washed ballad Love Paranoia , eight-minute clap-along opener Let It Happen , and the standout ‘Cause I’m a Man (which has its own super cute The Muppets -inspired clip). “It’s just about a bloke who’s behaving badly and is making every excuse he can!” Parker

It is all true, what happens in [Past Life]

says of the single. “He’s just lazy, probably been

that song.” And that’s the kicker: you can believe him because Parker hasn’t compromised with anyone – there’s no one to compromise with , in Tame Impala Land. Straight from the horse’s mouth, we think you’re going to love it.

caught trying to get away with something he shouldn’t, and the only thing he can say in response is ‘Meh, f*ck it, I’m a man, sorry.’” The other beacon of the album is Past Life , which spotlights a strange spoken word story in which the protagonist sees a figure in his rear-view mirror which he recognises as a girl he used to know, who was “somewhere between a lover and a friend.” “Yes, it’s me,” Parker responds to the

Currents by Tame Impala is out now via Universal.

MAD MUPPET MEN

C lips with puppets are basically always awesome: see Lily Allen's Alfie , Zeus' Are you Gonna Waste My Time? , Supergrass' Pumping On Your Stereo , Ed Sheeran's Sing , Genesis' Land of Confusion , and of course Mr Oizo's Flat Beat . Single 'Cause I'm a Man has itself two videos; the second, touted as a special 'live' version, depicts the entire Tame Impala band as Muppet- like felt monsters performing the song on stage. However, the original video is something very unique in its own right. In an entirely pointy CGI, surreal

landscape, the 'camera' slowly revolves around a faceless, suited figure as he stands amongst a teeming city scene, falls through the air and slides across geometric objects, embraces a female figure and is buried under a sculptured pile of red and blue pills. It's part Mad Men credits intro, part Radiohead's Pyramid Song . "I do love what was done for that 'Cause I'm a Man clip," Parker says. "Simple ideas are often the hardest ideas to get right, and that's a simple idea – with the models, and how they move, they completely nailed it."

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