Skip to content
Premieres

Hear Tame Impala’s Trunk-Shaking Psych-Rock ‘Elephant’

The ceaselessly shifting cosmic imagery in the YouTube clip premiering Tame Impala’s “Elephant” might be a little too appropriate. Sure, leading man Kevin Parker packs the first single — and second advance track — from the Australian band’s Dave Fridmann-produced sophomore album, Lonerism (due out October 9 via Modular), with plenty of hum-along fuzz-pop hooks. There’s no shortage of fist-pumping hard-rock muscle. But the track’s key moment arrives right after Parker whispers, “Here he comes,” and the swirling wordless midsection — far-out synth, seraphim harmonies, hypnotic band interplay — locks into top gear. That’s the part where, no matter how hyper-caffeinated this reviewer might be, it’s hard not just to space out at the trippy images and let the headphone-popping sonics seep into the cerebellum. “Elephant” booming out of a trunk? Watch out for pile-ups.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=b0jqPvpn3sY%3Ffeature%3Dplayer_detailpage