Standing The Test of Time: 10 Years of Tame Impala’s Innerspeaker
Review by Austin Sher
Tame Impala’s debut album Innerspeaker, released on May 21st, 2010, changed the way that rock music and psychedelia would intermingle and coexist for the next 10 years.
First off, we’re wishing a massive Happy 10th Birthday to one of the finest records released in the last decade. A near perfect mix of originality, cutting edge production, and replay value that has had us coming back for more time and time again. From the opening sequence of It Is Not Meant To Be to the happy go-lucky closer, I Don’t Really Mind, Innerspeaker has changed the way thousands are listening to and absorbing music.
When the album originally released in the middle of 2010, there wasn’t a massive crowd of Kevin Parker diehards to rejoice and celebrate what had been created. In fact, that true commercial success really didn’t even come until 2015’s Currents. Imagine releasing something so near and dear to your heart that never sees the light of day in terms of a targeted audience listening. Thankfully, that didn’t stop Parker from continuing on in his path to success and further creating music that would have such an impact on everyone from classic rockers to being praised in other genres like hip hop and rap.
As we spent our morning relistening to this masterpiece, there really isn’t a weak track on the album. Every track flows perfectly and keeps your internal monologue guessing as to which themes are going to appear next. As a self proclaimed “introvert”, the lyrics ring true throughout and really goes to show that you’re not alone in this crazy thing we call life.
If I were to drum up what I thought would be an album directly inspired by the 60’s and 70’s psychedelic movement, well, it wouldn’t be too far off to what i had heard in this 52 minute thriller of an album. The standouts of the record are really the entire thing, but if i’m narrowing it down, my favorite tracks are the album opener It Is Not Meant To Be, Alter Ego, Solitude Is Bliss, and Runway Houses City Clouds. To me, they’re perfection and I could listen a million times each without ever really getting bored or feeling like I’ve not heard something new in my listen.
Now while this may be considered a hot take, I consider Innerspeaker to be a 10 out of 10 album, but, I also consider 2012’s release of Lonerism to be an 11. While they’re equally great in so many ways, Lonerism takes the edge. This is not to discount the impact that Innerspeaker has had on so many, but you can come to your own conclusions about that comparison.
At this point, a track by track analysis of each song wouldn’t be as thorough as I’d like it to be because it would take weeks to even come up with the words that the songs make me feel. I’d rather whoever is reading to take the hour out of your day and sit with the album uninterrupted and let us know what you really think. Don’t be afraid to get inside your head, that’s what Kevin Parker would want.
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