This article was originally published in The Daily UW on March 5, 2019. Read it here.
I’ve always found something uniquely compelling about songs that juxtapose vibrant, upbeat production with dark and provocative lyricism. The contrast provides the track with a kind of subliminal edge. Pay attention and you’ll realize that the subtext isn’t quite as pretty as the sound. Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know the Better,” from their acclaimed 2015 album “Currents,” uses this yin/yang effect to create a contemporary classic.
Written and produced by band frontman Kevin Parker, the song uses its killer bassline and breezy, synth-driven instrumentation to carry us through the bitterness and anguish of a man seeing his lover more satisfied with someone else. Parker’s raw and often petty lyrics perfectly capture the chaos of his emotional state.
The part of the first verse that incorporates the song’s title conveys the man’s insecurity, where knowing the details of his lover’s new relationship will consume his thoughts: “Then I heard they slept together. Oh, the less I know the better.”
But for all its angst, the track is aesthetically distinct from the typical “breakup song,” since its sound blends the band’s signature psychedelic rock style with elements of pop, disco, and funk. The lyrics are blunt and aggrieved, but the relaxed, atmospheric sound and Parker’s reverb-laden vocals give the song an almost meditative quality as if it’s a conversation he’s having in his head while still going with the flow of life around him. The result is equal parts visceral and understated — and entirely addicting to listen to.