“Tame Impala makes psychedelic hypno-groove melodic rock music,” the band’s official website boldly states. If one were to take the word “rock” out of that sentence, Tame Impala’s latest single, “Let it Happen,” would be summed up in one sentence.
Tame Impala, the musical project of Australia’s Kevin Parker, producer and instrumentalist for the band, made quite the splash with its first EP and full-length album “Innerspeaker.” It was Parker’s sophomore effort, “Lonerism,” that nabbed the band a Grammy nomination and was hailed by critics as one of the best albums of 2012.
Known for crunchy guitar riffs, infinitely-groovy basslines and laid-back drumming, Parker surprised fans by adding layers of synthesizers to “Lonerism,” which gave the album a more developed sound than previous efforts.
“Let it Happen,” the first song released off of Tame Impala’s untitled third album, throws another curveball at fans. Parker dabbled with electronic dance music when he collaborated with Mark Ronson in early 2015, but many thought he would save the more pop-sounding music for one of his other side projects.
However, “Let it Happen,” a sprawling eight-minute track full of minimalistic drums and synths-galore, shows that Parker is headed away from sounding like The Beatles to a sound more like Michael Jackson or Earth, Wind & Fire. The track is so different from Tame Impala’s earlier work that some fans might not have recognized Parker made it, if it was not for his high-pitched, almost nasally voice.
With a straightforward groove, the song is easy to dance along to, but Parker adds a bit of melancholy to it with his voice and lyrics, singing, “If my ticker fails, make up some other story, but if I never come back, tell my mother I’m sorry.”
The song’s pop sound could give it the crossover appeal needed to climb the charts, but Tame Impala fans know the style of Parker’s writing and how it is more introverted and thoughtful than a club-banger.
The song takes a turn in the second half, promising eager fans a taste of old Tame Impala, mixed in with the new sonic-landscapes Parker is creating. Synth solos are thrown in, Parker’s voice changes to a Daft Punk style and a guitar hook is even thrown in.
It is hard to imagine Tame Impala making music without guitars, as it is a part of its signature sixties sound, but it seems Parker, while gravitating toward synthesizers, still wants to incorporate the instrument into his music.
Parker, who writes his own music and plays every instrument for Tame Impala, will hit the road with his touring band this summer to support the release of the upcoming third album. With a departure from his classic ’60s-style rock into a more modern, dance-style track, Parker may alienate some of his fans, who may think he is selling out.
However, to the ears of a trained Tame Impala fan, “Let it Happen” has its own signature flair to it that only Kevin Parker can produce. Soon to be armed with an arsenal of dance songs to play live, Tame Impala will have an eclectic set list for fans that will keep them moving, grooving and letting it happen.

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