Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press

A latecomer to the Best Albums of the Decade jamboree, the NME has finally released its list and, yes, Tame Impala are in it.

While Tame didn’t make it to #1 – that credit goes to the Arctic Monkeys‘ AM – the work of Kevin Parker does perform respectably well.

2015’s Currents comes in at #71.

“After lingering in the shadows of cult cool, ‘Currents’ was Tame’s stepping-out-into-the-spotlight moment,” NME’s Rhian Daly writes, “a huge album featuring some of mastermind Kevin Parker’s biggest pop songs yet it also ushered in a new era of festival headline sets and admiration from some of the world’s biggest stars.”

“‘Let It Happen’ went full-on lasering rave banger,” they then add, “‘Eventually’ detailed heartbreak through divine synths, and ‘Cause I’m A Man’ dove headfirst into FM pop and emerged as one of Parker’s best creations so far.”

Lonerism ranked just shy of the Top 10, landing in at #11.

“It was Tame Impala’s debut InnerSpeaker that first saw Kevin Parker acclaimed as one of psych rock’s new stars,” contributor Patrick Clarke notes, “but it was Lonerism that made him one of the most revered – and most frequently imitated – musicians of the decade, his talents sought by everyone from Lady Gaga to Kanye West.”

“Though it’s evergreen hits like ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ and ‘Elephant’ that remain the record’s anthems,” the muse, “the whole album still glistens and shimmers with as much kaleidoscopic light as ever.”

The NME then suggested the album’s key track was it ‘Feels Like We Only Go Backwards’ and that it’s ‘goosebump moment’ was the opening licks of ‘Apocalypse Dreams’.

Kevin Parker and company have performed well in several of end of decade critics lists, including those by Pitchfork, Billboard, Stereogum, Discogs, and Vice. 

Tame Impala’s fourth album, The Slow Rush, will be arriving on February 14.

NME’s full end of decade rankings here.