Tame Impala -- Black Cat - Nov 16 2010

Tame Impala - I rushed over to the Black Cat with Grinderman ending at a reasonable time and caught Tame Impala in their first or second song. It is not often, we get two Australian bands (well, it was the genesis for Cave) in competing shows. This really young band is from Perth and is on American shores for the first time as they start their coast to coast tour. The album is quite good and the sound tonight is strong. Early in the set, I did feel that they settled into a one dimensional washed, light psyche pop sound that could have used a little variety--especially with the echo drenched vocals. But I remembered, that in my mind, they had the unenviable task of following Grinderman. So, I relaxed a little and absorbed the quality of their songs and they were doing pretty well. I was hearing a phas shifted Carol of Harvest, touches of Dead Meadow, but mostly a more pop-oriented Ant Trip Ceremony. The last 3-4 songs did have a bit more variety in the rhythms and guitar sound, so the set built to a satisfying conclusion. The club was 2/3 full at least, so it was good to see that kind of turnout for their debut. Sorry to the openers for missing their sets, but I am glad I made the effort to catch this one.