Good album covers set the tone for the album before the first note is even heard. Tame Impala’s cover for their debut album “Innerspeaker” succeeds in that mission. One look at that cover lets the listener know to expect some chilled-out psychedelia to be flowing out of their speakers.

Tame Impala manages to make this record sound like something they threw together quickly on first listen, but repeated plays reveal the intricate layers of sound in each song. It is this craftsmanship that distinguishes it from the other great indie rock albums of the year that revel in their lo-fi aesthetic. It is a tough balance to sound like stoner rock but also the investment of meticulous attention to detail.

Tame Impala is the work of musician Kevin Parker, who recorded the album with his band at house near a beach in a remote part of Australia. He has commented that the studio location had a subconscious influence on his creative process and the pastoral effect is evident, both in the sound and the album art. “Solitude Is Bliss” is the most explicit evidence of that, outright stating that Parker prefers to be alone, presumably to better create music without distraction.

For fans of: Psychedelic music (and psychedelics), the Indie Rock sound of the 2010s