"Yes, I'm changing," Kevin Parker sweetly serenades the critics, haters, and trolls, "Yes, I'm gone / Yes, I'm older / Yes, I'm moving on / And if you don't think it's a crime / you can come along with me / Life is moving / can't you see?"

The most talented musicians in the world adapt. They don't find one sound and stick to it. They become restless, striving to create something that makes their ears ring anew.

Vampire Weekend completely departed from its upbeat and poppy sound and made their best album to date centered on death and dark subjects. Arctic Monkeys did something similar. Kendrick Lamar's release this year sounded almost nothing like his prior classic album, but it was Lamar adapting to his life, circumstances, and influences, and responding in his own way. Bon Iver's Justin Vernon recently said in an interview (I'm somewhat paraphrasing) that the hardest thing about becoming a famous musician is losing sight that creating music should be for you. When you lose sight of that, you begin to create for others and lose a bit of identity and ownership as a creative. "It has to be real," Vernon said.

Luckily, Tame Impala's mastermind Kevin Parker keeps it real. Tame Impala's third album, Currents, is a wonderfully freeing musical expression and acknowledgement of adaptation for the sake of Parker and no others.

Currents may piss the purists off, and "indie-music snobs would turn their nose up at it," Parker said in an interview with Grantland. Guaranteed, some will not be able to see or accept a brilliant change in direction. Some will be furious that Parker abandoned the signature maze of psych-rock and fuzzy reverb that coated their minds. Some will not adapt. Even Parker wrestles and wonders aloud throughout the album about the changes.

"They say people never change / but that's bullshit, they do," Parker continues in "Yes, I'm Changing," "Yes, I'm changing / Can't stop it now / And even if I wanted I wouldn't know how / Another version of myself I think I found at last / And I can't always hide away / Curse indulgence and despise the fame / There's a world out there and it's calling my name."

In an interview with Pitchfork, Parker spoke about the theme of the album. “It's more about this idea that you're being pulled into another place that’s not better or worse. It's just different. And you can’t control it. There are these currents within you.”

Parker expanded on the theme of Currents to NME, “It’s about chaos – the whirlwinds of life that have always seemed too intense for you,” he explains. “You put your fingers in your ears and you close your eyes to shut them out, because you’ve always tried to control who you are, control the world that you’re in, but it comes to a point when it takes more energy to block it out than allow it to wash through you.”

Not coincidentally, the album starts with a track named "Let It Happen," a track that is my front-runner for song of the year. Parker said it's about "this chaotic world," and, as I take it, being in the moment and letting life occur organically instead of overanalyzing every aspect.

Back in March, I said it was the best song Tame Impala had written. I wrote, "the intertwining of parts as each fades in and out seamlessly, the use of subtle loops (around the 3:25 mark) which leads into one prolonged loop which then leads into a powerful orchestrated string section, the song keeps swimming into other rhythms. I just can't get over the intricacy and depth of this song." It's the centerpiece of the album.

The second track, "Nangs," is apparently a word that is slang in Australia for laughing gas. "But is there something more than that?" Parker asks as keys vibrate and bend like a slinky down a staircase. I take this as a crack that he can't please everyone with this album even after his eight minute anthem that starts the album.

"Eventually" is one of the many other standout tracks, a track that may sound the most similar to Tame Impala's older stuff, especially the guitar that sounds a bit like "Lucidity."

Parker's evolution in sounds is coupled with his growing ability as a lyricist. "Eventually" is a pre-breakup song as Parker sings in his falsetto, "If only there could be another way to do this / Cause it feels like murder to put your heart through this / I know I always said that I could never hurt you / Well this is the very, very last time I'm ever going to...And I know just what I've got to do / And it's got to be soon / Cause I know that I'll be happier / And I know you will too."

Every time I hear the first lick from "The Less I Know The Better," I am reminded of the guitar that comes in at 6:15 of "Let It Happen." It's basically the same riff and same guitar effect! But they both sound so damn good, can you blame him?

On "Disciples," a spacey rock jam, Parker aims some shots at his ex-girlfriend, Melody Prochet from Melody's Echo Chamber (whose only album was produced by Parker), and the effect of fame, "Now it's like the world owes you / Walking around like everybody should know you / I wanna be like we used to / But now you're worried cause that means we'd lose you / And I had no idea / What that feeling could do to you / And I could tell you changed / By the people around you."

Ouch. It is refreshing for a rock star to acknowledge these trappings of fame, and from all accounts, Parker seems like a pretty chill dude not overly impressed with himself. He comes off like that on stage as well.

Please just add "'Cause I'm a Man" to your "Intimate" playlist or whatever the hell cutesy name you've given it. Parker brings 80s glam and Prince-level sexiness to full blast, and he nails it.

My second favorite song on the album is its last, "New Person, Same Old Mistakes." The whole feel of this song is hypnotic and ridiculously sexy. Parker suitably brings the album to a close as he preemptively addresses all the critiques and challenges sure to come his way after making a poppy album right after being crowned a rock savior.

"I can just hear them now / 'How could you let us down?' / But they don't know what I found / Or see it from this way around / Feeling it overtake / all that I see to hate... / Feel like a brand new person."

It reminds me a bit of another sexy beat by Arctic Monkeys on "Do I Wanna Know?"

The beat on "New Person, Same Old Person" crawls along with a spitting synth of a bass line while the high hat constantly closes (for example at 0:06 and 0:07) creating a smidgen of friction. And is that a banjo playing (for example, from 1:05 to 1:21)?!? Parker interplays his vocals as it sounds like a call and response between his falsetto and another deeper register. The song takes a turn at the bridge (at 3:04) as Parker relies on his falsetto and guitars before sliding back into an abyss (starting at 4:01) of what feels like a backwards daydream in deep synths. Then, flashing right before my ears, the track transitions back into the verse! THAT IS INSANE. THAT IS SO INSANE! Those transitions are on the same level as "Let It Happen," instruments weaving and winding throughout effects, speeding up and slowing down within rhythm of each other. Parker is a goddamn magician at composition.

This album is mind blowing. The craziest thing I've done (after listening to this album at least 20 times) is gone back and listened to their prior albums. I LOVE their prior two albums, and at the moment, I am not ready to say that this album is better than Lonerism (though I do think it's better than Innerspeaker); but when you listen to both Lonerism and Innerspeaker, it's shocking to hear the difference in the way each album sounds compared to Currents. It's amazing Parker could make an album so different yet so damn good.

Listen to "Alter Ego," one of my favorite Tame Impala songs from Innerspeaker:

You just don't hear anything close to this on Currents.

“I'm aware that there will be fans of my previous stuff for whom [Currents] doesn't resonate with as much, because they've got their values set,” Parker told Pitchfork. “But if I can convince a few die-hard rock fans that ‘80s synths can fit over a ‘70s drum beat—if I can help them to look outside the square of traditional psych rock—then at least one mission is accomplished.”

Life and music are entwined because we all evolve. At a point, some stop evolving while others strive for more. Currents is an inspiring example to create and be yourself despite the naysayers and critics. Keep it real and ride the wave. "Arise and walk, come through / A world beyond that door is calling for you / It's calling out for you."