Currents

A straight-up, unforgettable, modern-day classic. That’s Currents for you. After already dropping two amazing albums with InnerSpeaker and Lonerism, Kevin Parker had pretty much cemented himself as the psych-rock guy. But with Currents, he took it to a whole different level. He didn't just stick to the dreamy, fuzzy guitars anymore—he brought in synths, groove, and a whole lot of pop sensibility. And somehow, it still felt totally him.

From start to finish, this album is just ridiculously good. It’s as psychedelic as you’d expect, but also super danceable, more polished, and honestly kind of emotional too. The opener Let It Happen is this massive psychedelic journey—it goes on forever and keeps morphing and looping in the best way possible. You could just live in that track. And tracks like Eventually and New Person, Same Old Mistakes are two other of those spaced-out trips that feel like you’re floating through some neon dreamscape. Both tracks just explode near the end and it’s the best thing ever.

Then you’ve got the more emotional cuts like Yes I’m Changing, Past Life, and Love/Paranoia. That last one especially—Love/Paranoia—hits you out of nowhere. It’s soft, intimate, and full of doubt and hesitation. The lyrics really pull you into this place of insecurity and overthinking, and it’s such a vulnerable moment near the end of the record. Short, but it cuts deep.

‘Cause I’m a Man is another incredible standout, and one of my personal favourites. It’s smooth, hazy, and feels like it’s dipped in honey. It's that smooth. Kevin’s falsetto glides over this dreamy beat, and the lyrics are so interesting—on one hand, it sounds like he’s making an excuse, but there’s also something really honest and kind of sad underneath it. Like he's owning up to being flawed and emotionally distant. It’s the weird mix of irony and sincerity that makes it so compelling.

Then there’s the groovier, more upbeat moments like The Moment, Reality in Motion, and Disciples, which bring a bounce and lightness that balance out the heavier, introspective parts. And of course, The Less I Know the Better—probably the biggest hit from the album—just hits that sweet spot between catchy and crushing. That bassline is iconic at this point.

All in all, Currents is a masterpiece of modern psych-pop. It’s introspective, slick, emotionally complex, and somehow manages to be both super personal and wildly universal. One of the best albums of the 2010s, without a doubt—and honestly, one of those records that only gets better the more you sit with it.