The Slow Rush
The Slow Rush is the fourth studio album by Australian musical project Tame Impala, released on 14 February 2020.[11][12] It follows the 2015 album Currents and the 2019 singles "Patience" and "Borderline",[13] with the latter serving as the first single from the album.[11] Rooted in psychedelic disco music, the album was positively received by critics and reached the top 10 on many record charts around the world, debuting atop the charts in three countries and as well as on the US Alternative and Rock charts.
The Slow Rush
14 February 2020
- Kevin Parker's home studio in Fremantle, Western Australia
- Studios in Los Angeles[1]
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At the 2020 ARIA Music Awards, the album won five categories, ARIA Award for Album of the Year, Best Group, Best Rock Album, Engineer of the Year and Producer of the Year (the latter two for work by Parker).[14][15] The album also received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, whilst "Lost In Yesterday" was nominated for Best Rock Song.
In October 2021, the band announced a deluxe box set edition would be released in February 2022, comprising B-sides and remixes of the album. This version features remixes from Four Tet and Blood Orange, among others, and a guest appearance from rapper Lil Yachty.[16]
Background[edit]
Kevin Parker said that his biggest takeaway from making both the previous Tame Impala album, 2015's Currents, and The Slow Rush was to trust his gut instincts. "I don't want to labor over music. More and more, that's becoming a quality of music that I'm allergic to."[17]
In an interview with Billboard, Parker said he was inspired by the career trajectory of "super-producer" Max Martin and that he wants to gradually break into the world of pop music.[18] In an interview with Uproxx, it was also revealed that one goal for The Slow Rush was to "try and use things from totally different worlds in the way that a hip hop producer would. To be almost collage-y."[17]
Writing and recording[edit]
While writing songs for the album in 2018 in Los Angeles, California, Parker had to flee a house in Malibu that he had rented on Airbnb due to widespread wildfires. Parker escaped with only his laptop, a hard drive, and his 1960s vintage Höfner bass; the remainder of his equipment at the house was destroyed.[18]
After releasing the singles "Patience" and "Borderline"—the former only appearing on the bonus track edition, the latter included on the tracklist in remixed form—in March and April 2019, the album's release was delayed. These two songs were first performed live on Saturday Night Live on 28 March 2019 and received commercial praise.[19]
In July 2019, Parker said: "Part of the thing about me starting an album is that I have to feel kind of worthless again to want to make music".[20] In October 2019, a video appeared on the band's website, and on 25 October, the video was extended to announce the title of the album and release year.[20] The video features Parker in the recording studio as well as snippets of unreleased music, which would later be included on the album as segments of the track "Tomorrow's Dust".[21]
"Borderline" was altered/remastered following a November 2019 listening party.[22] On 18 December 2019, Parker revealed in an interview with Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1's Future Sounds show that this new version of "Borderline" would appear on The Slow Rush instead, jokingly referring to the single release as the "old 'Borderline'" upon the release of the album.
Commercial performance[edit]
On the US Billboard 200, The Slow Rush debuted at number three, moving 110,000 equivalent album sales. It became Tame Impala's highest-charting album in the country to date, passing the number four peak of previous release Currents.[43] After the release of the album, all 12 tracks charted on the US Rock charts with peak numbers ranging from 2 to 17. With other record charts, the album debuted in the top 10 in many countries, reaching number one in Australia, Portugal, and Scotland.[44][45][46]
Tame Impala
Technical
Artwork