The Slow Rush

Tame Impala - The Slow Rush
Critic Score
Based on 44 reviews
2020 Ratings: #258 / 871
Year End Rank: #21
User Score
2020 Rank: #244
Liked by 551 people
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CRITIC REVIEWS

100
The Arts Desk

The Slow Rush is an apt name. This is an album that replicates the wash of a narcotic come-up. Unstoppable, inimitable, and highly addictive.

90
AllMusic

The album's a comeback that once again makes Tame Impala an artistic force equal to their commercial appeal.

90
Louder Than War

This album is nothing short of perfection. From the order of the track listing to the instrumentation and clever increments throughout. There is always a new sound or inclusion which pricks your ears up.

90
Northern Transmissions

Tame Impala perfectly capture that feeling of existing in the tiny margins between fear and freedom on The Slow Rush.

90
Spill Magazine

Amongst those who can adapt to the growth of a great artist, The Slow Rush will be treasured.

80
The Sydney Morning Herald

True to its name, The Slow Rush is stealthily enchanting, casting a spell that deepens with every repeat listen.

80
Uncut

In spite of the additional pressures fostered by the success of Currents, he has risen to the occasion with an album full of the necessary girth and scope, which doesn’t succumb to the forces of inertia.

80
Mojo

The Slow Rush proves the rewards of taking time; Kevin Parker is an artist worthy of yours.

80
God Is in the TV

Kevin Parker is both philosophical and heartfelt about the subject of time on Tame Impala ambitiously-produced, eclectic and absorbing new album The Slow Rush.

80
The Independent

Parker is a master of studio songcraft; each track flows seamlessly from one to the next in one cohesive journey, capturing uplifting, laidback summer vibes throughout.

80
The Telegraph

There is a level of detail to Parker’s productions that encourages deep listening, a fascination with sound allied to the elaborate arrangements of his Seventies progressive rock heroes.

80
The Observer

As The Slow Rush builds, you have to hold on tight to the idea that, despite the musical lengths Parker used to go through to camouflage his lyrics, he is actually one of our most intriguing confessional singer-songwriters.

80
Dork

He finds himself in fresh new waters, but with 'The Slow Rush', Tame Impala are walking on the surface with an untouchable confidence.

80
musicOMH

It’s amazing how true auteurs constantly shift their attention, shift their style, but always retain a razor-sharp focus on the artistic integrity of their projects.

80
Record Collector

His knack for alchemising an engrossing trip hasn’t deserted him yet.

80
Q Magazine

Tame Impala might be operating in a field of one, but even then, Kevin Parker is still streaks ahead.

80
RIOT

If his previous albums were predominantly expressions of anxieties and concern, then The Slow Rush lets us know that those concerns aren’t quite as all-encompassing anymore. What’s more: it’s a chance for Parker – and us – to look into the future at what’s coming up. Tentatively, at least.

80
XS Noize

The Slow Rush is the answer to what comes next, the ending of something and the start of something else.

80
Clash

A solar system held in place by its own revolutions, ‘The Slow Rush’ is testament to the patient productivity and unrelenting creativity of Kevin Parker.

80
Pitchfork

On his fourth album, Kevin Parker takes a breath and eases into a smoother psychedelic sound. Even without the adrenaline-filled highs, the compositions are as rich and thoughtful as ever.

80
PopMatters

The Slow Rush is another masterpiece for Tame Impala, cover-to-cover. You know it's the band the instant the music begins, and yet the album feels both new and necessary.

80
NME

Tame Impala’s first album in five years sees them move away from guitars and into mega-pop songwriting. The results are exhilarating.

80
No Ripcord

While The Slow Rush is undeniably an electronic pop album, it doesn’t teeter so far off into club banger territory that it taints Tame Impala’s established aesthetic. Rather, it accentuates their love for sonic texture.

80
DIY

If it’s a party for one Kevin Parker’s throwing on ‘The Slow Rush’, there are enough gems floating around the room here not to need any company.

80
The Skinny

The Slow Rush is a partial reinvention of the Tame Impala sound, with Kevin Parker arranging vast soundscapes shaded with a human touch.

80
The Guardian

As ever, his fourth album – the first in five years – has been crafted, considered, then crafted some more.

80
Loud and Quiet

Painstakingly fine-tuned in the studio, The Slow Rush provides Tame Impala with the punch needed for stadium tours while still meaningfully evolving a complex, liquid sound.

76
Sputnikmusic

Parker proves good songwriting can hold the basis of a band’s sound, and despite the lack of guitar here, The Slow Rush does just that. It’s not as pristine as previous entries, but it certainly holds up Tame impala’s incredible reputation.

75
Consequence of Sound

The gentle care with which Parker attends his music lulls the listener into his black hole, where time and reality are warped beyond definition.

75
Under the Radar

It is immaculate music, loaded with little side roads and detours, and I will listen to it probably hundreds of times, but there’s that little something missing, that dagger to my chest, that shiver up my spine that I thought would hit me long before now.

75
The Line of Best Fit

While lacking the convention-breaching identity of Currents, Tame Impala commits to a formula that will undoubtedly guarantee heavy rotation – an album sporting plenty of standouts and very little filler.

70
Rolling Stone

Focus too deeply, and it feels less like a collection of songs and more like a showplace for his sonic finery. As mood music, though, it’s a sweet trip.

70
Classic Rock

The Slow Rush casts the same spectral psych web over classic funk pop and house, ironically utilising genres that famously live for the moment to explore the weavings of time and memory.

70
Paste

The record is overflowing with ideas—sometimes to its own detriment—but even heavy bass and bubbling synths can’t mask some god-awful lyrics.

68
GIGsoup

By its second track, Kevin Parker promises "I'm about to do something crazy"; the album not only doesn't, but proceeds to give an hour of expensive, polished soundscapes that never dare to be groundbreaking. The result is meticulous but lacks edge.

65
Spectrum Culture

Listening to The Slow Rush is never unpleasant, but only rarely does a stray lyric or change-up grab attention in the way that Tame Impala’s previous work so frequently commanded.

60
The Needle Drop

The Slow Rush's deep cuts don't deliver on the promise of its introspective and infectious lead singles.

60
Exclaim!

This album will be fantastic at your next backyard barbecue. It's upbeat, fashionable and sounds great in the background when you're only half paying attention.

60
Crack Magazine

The Slow Rush borders on pastiche at times, but it makes a successful pitch for festival headline slots and Instagrammable mornings after.

60
The Irish Times

The Slow Rush exists within a confusing pop palace, with the really interesting flourishes leaving by the back door, on their way to the dusty old shed out the back. It is the dusty old shed that could provide the material that returns Parker to himself.

58
A.V. Club

Parker’s long-awaited Currents follow-up, The Slow Rush, isn’t quite as interesting as its predecessors in terms of songwriting and production, and this gap makes Parker’s lyrical weaknesses more challenging to ignore.

54
Beats Per Minute

Tame Impala have failed to take an incredibly effective and timeless formula to new heights.

barcooper
70

Hi everyone. I'm writing this with a lot of pain. One of my best friends died yesterday. I live in Israel. And we have been in a serious war since yesterday's morning. He died from a terror attack by Hamas, only 20 years old. Palestine (which is controlled by the terror organization Hamas), has started a war with us yesterday, firing thousands of rockets on all of our country's cities. Many terrorists have invaded our cities, killing and kidnapping hundreds of innocent children, women and ... read more

MasterCrackfox
87

When I wrote about Innerspeaker I discussed a conversation that I had with a local record store owner about how the albums of Tame Impala represented different decades of music. Innerspeaker exists as an homage to 60s psychedelic rock music, with a distinct garage feel - still incorporating the heavy perfectionist production employed by mastermind Kevin Parker but still working more with some distorted elements. Lonerism moves towards a more 70s style of psychedelic rock, with even heavier ... read more

BradTasteMusic
68

Starts off insanely strong, but it is clear that most of the effort went into the first leg of the album. It becomes super monotonous and boring in the second half.

Alejandro__am7
75

Some amazing songs, memorable moments but as an entire album there's a lot left to be worked on

tkmrc16
73

meditative and full of details that make this album worth a listen, or two. while being less inmediate, it reflects on earlier approaches to 60s psych rock with a sophisticated delivery. some bits dull bits tho.

blacksheep
58

Three nice songs and a lot of boredom

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Track List

1One More Year
5:22
81
2Instant Destiny
3:13
79
3Borderline
3:57
90
4Posthumous Forgiveness
6:06
88
5Breathe Deeper
6:12
89
6Tomorrow's Dust
5:26
78
7On Track
5:01
81
8Lost in Yesterday
4:09
86
9Is It True
3:58
82
10It Might Be Time
4:33
81
11Glimmer
2:08
70
12One More Hour
7:13
81
Total Length: 57 minutes
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Added on: October 25, 2019