After spending the first part of his five-year break from Tame Impala working on tracks with the likes of Travis Scott, Lady Gaga and A$AP Rocky, Parker readily admits that his chosen production method may not have been the easiest. “I never realized how tough I make it for myself, not having any grounding force or being able to step away from the project,” he says. Working with other artists gave him the chance to detach and thus regain perspective. “And I appreciated it. The most I have of that [in my own work] is, literally, just not working on it for some time,” he laughs, more so at himself than anything else. “I guess that helps explain a lot of the delusion and craziness for me.” “Without music, I am nothing. I am a shell of a man.” When I ask how the journey has been, starting with Currents and arriving at The Slow Rush, he doesn’t really know how to answer. Half a decade—where to even begin? Whether it’s personal milestones like getting married last year, trekking to Namibia to photograph derelict houses for his latest cover art, or being holed up in a studio with Travis Scott, Parker has certainly been busy during his time away from the spotlight. And Tame Impala is in a very different headspace now compared to the one of Currents yore. He attributes this change to having more confidence, both in his personal life and as an artist. It sounds like it, too—the album’s opening track, “One More Year,” is exultant: synthy Gregorian chants distorted into a shimmering echo, like the choir is singing into a giant fan. The blooming melody gives way to Parker’s melancholic croon in contrast, “Do you remember we were standing here a year ago?”