Tame Impala – “It Might Be Time” Track Review

Album: The Slow Rush

Artist: Tame Impala

Genre: #Alternative

Sub-Genres: #ProgressivePop, #PsychedelicPop

Label: Interscope

Description: The first new single from Tame Impala since the official announcement of their new album The Slow Rush, “It Might Be Time” had something to prove. Though the earlier two singles “Borderline” and “Patience” (the latter notably left off the tracklist of the new album) were groovy and enjoyable, occasionally it felt as if Tame Impala had lost some of the inventiveness and intensity of Currents. 

    “It Might Be Time” should assuage those fears, however. The song begins with, and is generally built around, a synth organ riff nearly ripped off from Supertramp’s “The Logical Song,” but over the course of the track, Kevin Parker ramps up the intensity significantly. He lays on thick, chunky synthesizers and loud, crashing drums over irresistibly catchy hooks. The lyrics deal with the usual uncertainty about oneself, but the strong melodies and memorable lines makes them hit harder than on “Patience.” The production itself complements the lyrics, encapsulating the emotions expressed into the track, lending it extra levity. 

Complete with some sonic trickery like fake-outs, a wailing synthesizer reminiscent of the “Kill Bill” siren, and a heavy, distorted synth bass sound towards the end of the song, “It Might Be Time” is a brilliant statement from one of alternative’s most intriguing musicians.

Sounds Like: Supertramp

Reviewer’s Name: Jonathan Gibson

Date of Review: 10/30