I’d be hard-pressed to find a high school comedy script—there are several—in my screenwriter brain that wouldn’t benefit from Tame Impala’s latest scoring the end credits roll.
The psychedelic rocker behind “The Less I Know the Better” slows it down for something groovier—something dancier—on his first new track since 2020.
“End of Summer” rides a beat that evokes voluntary melancholy. You know that guy sinking buckets alone at LA Fitness, clearly avoiding the graceless, broccoli-haired pickup game? Something deeper is weighing on his mind between dribbles.
A lyrical stretch I’ve already queued as my calming agent amidst rave-like overwhelm—my Instagram song for October baseball:
“And right now I would love to put my arms around you / Even if I know it would mean nothing, nothing / I know I can seem uncaring in moments like these / I just hope it's enough to say my words don't come with ease.”
It’s a melodic refrain I swear I’ve known longer than the song itself. Maybe Kevin Parker didn’t realize he was echoing—down to the syllable—the “puff, puff, pass” deflation within the verses of Cheap Trick’s “Surrender.” (Thank you, “Guitar Hero 2.”) But this feels like a spiritual sequel told from the parents’ POV.
The kids are back at school. The pool still reflects moonlight. The tiki torches burn. And Dad? He’s just now asking for Mom’s hand again.
SZA’s “Drew Barrymore” refused to accept the party was over. With a similar theme, “End of Summer” could’ve just as easily been called “Adam Sandler.”
Call it “The Sopranos’” reunion barbecue episode—or something else. “End of Summer” isn’t about the season ending. It’s about keeping the spark alive just a little longer, even when you're dancing alone—for now.
I’m hopeful the forthcoming album’s sound follows suit: acutely electronic, never chaotic, and quietly hypnotic.