Lonerism

**Kevin Parker has struck just the right balance of poppy and proggy ingredients for the second album of his Tame Impala project. Lonerism mixes ingredients from old-school pop music with psychedelia, merging both styles to concoct a stunning, widescreen sound which fizzes and glitters in all the colours of a Raymanian rainbow.**

Such is the strength of the musical alchemy on display here that Lonerism never dips below enthralling. The opening of ‘Endors Toi’ sounds like engines cycling up in preparation for some extreme astral travelling, but Parker never lets the scales tip so far that things become too strung-out or stodgy. Instead, he anchors the music with strong pop hooks, keeping his feet on terra firma even as he lets his mind roam the clouds. For instance, check out the bass riff which struts through the chaotic carousel of ‘Apocalypse Dreams’.

Lyrically, Lonerism explores what is promised on the tin: themes of isolation and alienation. But thankfully, Parker never succumbs to mere snivelling, instead imbuing his vocals with a poignant sense of wide-eyed vulnerability. The lyrics themselves are strong for their simplicity, and can be genuinely affecting in places, but ultimately, Lonerism is very much an uplifting listen, and as the album approaches its central sequence, it all congeals wonderfully. ‘Why Won’t They Talk To Me?’ is a tumbling, multi-harmonised gem splashed with synths, and the refrain of ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ is so euphorically bittersweet that it’ll refuse to budge from your mind from the first listen.

Glazed with a busy-yet-focused production (which bears the mark of Dave Fridmann’s mixing skills), this is music as vibrant and adventurous as anything else you’re likely to hear this year. Whether you’re a fan of pop, psychedelia, rock, or even if you just enjoy a good hook when you hear one, put some time aside for Lonerism. It may well be a late contender for that coveted album-of-the-year title.

**Similar To:** The Beatles, The FLaming Lips, The Horrors
**MP3:** ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’