“Currents” is the third studio album by Australian psychedelic rock band, “Tame Impala”. It features a mix of rock elements mixed with retro psychedelic synths and vocals. Preceded by albums “Innerspeaker” and “Lonerism” which covered artist Kevin Parker’s withdrawal from society and his loneliness, this album is about his slow but steady reentry into everyday life.

For an album with rather melancholy lyrical content, the music is very accessible and easy to listen to. The album offers relatable songs to for people who are having issues themselves, and don’t like the sound of outwardly sad music.

One of the most obvious changes with this album are the distinct lyrics. Instead of being washed out with effects and made into an instrumental sound, they are now easier to sing along to, while still retaining their instrumental quality. Another musical change is Parker’s removal of the guitar from the front stage, focusing more on synthesizers and using the guitar as a textural background. Parker’s use of psychedelic synths reflects his new way of going about life with the flowing of sound. Parker’s new lifestyle is talked about in the opening song “Let It Happen” where he says his inner voice is saying he needs to just “Let it happen, let it happen,” despite his fear of what would happen if he’s not ready.

This album marks a turning point for Parker, and a period of growth in his life. He’s now ventured out into the world and while it isn’t easy, instead of denying the pain and ignoring it like he talks about in “Past Life”, he’s pushing past the pain and working towards a new lifestyle in which he can truly be content.
I’d give this album an A-. The music is catchy and fun to listen to, yet once the album reaches the last song there’s a change in the way the music sounds. It’s given a more hip hop style beat, which breaks the flow of the album a little right as you’re about to finish it off. I’d never even heard of Tame Impala before this album, but having listened to it it’s definitely something I’ll be coming back to.