Tame Impala lead the charge in Australia's current trend for psych rock revivalism
Revivalist psych rock from down under
There’s must be something in the water in Australia these days, for the new wave of psychedelic rock bands emerging from the country is growing. Following the example set in the northern hemisphere by groups like The Flaming Lips and MGMT, various shades of tie-dyed retro rocker are emerging from the country.
Jagwar Ma are the most recent additions to this group, but Perth’s Tame Impala have long been confirmed as the vanguard of the movement. In many respects they’re simply the recorded alias of frontman Kevin Parker, even though there are five people in the group. Since 2005 Parker has consumed the Perth record scene, first with the Cream-influenced Dee Dee Dums and then when that band mutated into the more tripped-out Tame Impala, as well as latterly projects with friends including Pond, Melody’s Echo Chamber and Relation Longue Distance. Released on Sydney’s rapidly-becoming-seminal Modular Records, the group achieved cult success with 2010’s Innerspeaker album and proper fame in international alternative circles with last year’s Lonerism, a record which fuses the sun-kissed West Coast psych of ‘Mind Mischief’ with hints of sparkling ‘80s future pop and the thrilling signature Led Zeppelin crunch of ‘Elephant’. Roundly cited as the album of last year by NME and Rolling Stone amongst others, the sense is that this might one day soon be looked upon as a very small-scale gig for them.
Picture House, 0844 847 1740, 20 Aug, 8pm, £17.50.