Imagine this: John Lennon has been reincarnated. His new birth name is Kevin Parker, co-founding member of Australian trio Tame Impala, a project he’s been working on since he was 13. The music is new, of course, but tonally it is straight out of the 60s. Plausible? You bet!

Tame Impala are the closest thing to what The Beatles would sound like if they had been cryogenically frozen for the past thirty years and had decided to modernize their chops upon thawing out. And yes, that is a compliment. Parker’s voice is stunningly similar to Lennon’s—everything from how his words are pronounced to the slapback delay and heavy reverb enhancing his vocal lines. And vocals aside, Tame Impala have recorded some incredible and incredibly catchy music for Parker’s crisp voice to float upon. Though the music is recorded in a similar fashion as the fab four’s later, more expansive albums, Innerspeaker doesn’t seem derivative in the slightest. It is fresh and stunningly original considering the obviousness of their influences, which is a welcome rarity given the infinite number of bands claiming identical inspirations.

Innerspeaker employs the same slew of guitar fuzz embraced by bands such as The Secret Machines, The White Stripes, The Black Keys, etc. But here it sounds warmer, or, at the very least, less manufactured; one can only assume that Tame Impala were picky about their tube amps and analog distortion choices. And we’re so very glad they were. It’s refreshing to hear a band making so many great recording decisions. Just the subtle snap of the snare is enough to make an aspiring drummer glisten with envy.

Then, there’s the songwriting. Starting with one of the most memorable bass lines I’ve heard in a while, Tame Impala immediately grab your attention with “It Is Not Meant to Be.” “The Bold Arrow of Time” has such a classic-sounding riff, it’s a surprise this song wasn’t originally recorded by Cream in their heyday. The song sounds as though old Slowhand himself had gotten a hold of Hendrix’s guitar rig for a laidback jam session. “Desire Be Desire Go,” a song Tame Impala had previously recorded on their first self-titled EP, has single written all over it, as does the album’s centerpiece, “Solitude is Bliss.” The former introduces the My Morning Jacket-meets-Lennon/McCartney harmonies that weave in and out of the rest of the album. The modulation-reliant latter tune exudes an MGMT vibe—perhaps the inspiration behind MGMT’s decision to invite Tame Impala to join them on their latest US tour.

Some of the more cathartic moments on Innerspeaker come from its dancier songs. I’m not ashamed to admit that merely absorbing the greatness of two specific songs on the album brought tears to my eyes. A friend of mine once described for me this phenomenon upon experiencing Pink Floyd’s “Echoes” in full a number of years ago, and it has only happened to me a small handful of times. To have it happen twice within the span of a single album is mind-boggling. Tame Impala must be doing something right.

The first song in question is “Alter Ego,” another track that relies heavily on the melodic bass of Dominic Simper. Adding egg shakers here and there to drummer Jay Watson’s infectious beats was a brilliant choice and Parker absolutely shines in this song. When his sweet falsetto croons, “and I don’t know what to do” my astounded brain resonates with his simple sentiment. “Runaway, Houses, City, Clouds” is the other song, which is faster with a great build to compliment its heartpounding drive. About halfway through the song, its rhythm drops into a Dark Side of the Moon-like instrumental groove that may as well be a mainlined morphine drip of musical bliss.

There isn’t a sour moment on the whole album. From the vox-less “Jeremy’s Storm” to the monotonous-in-a-good-way “Lucidity,” to the raw guitar and drum explosion of “Expectation,” this album does not disappoint. Don’t be surprised if Innerspeaker catapults Tame Impala into the popular lexicon of today’s music fans and magazines.

Track List:
1. It Is Not Meant to Be
2. Desire Be Desire Go
3. Alter Ego
4. Lucidity
5. Why Won’t You Make Up Your Mind?
6. Solitude Is Bliss
7. Jeremy's Storm
8. Expectation
9. The Bold Arrow of Time
10. Runway, Houses, City, Clouds
11. I Don't Really Mind