It feels like cheating to say this is my favorite album of the year since it's a limited-release live collection of almost all established songs, but as of now it is all the same.
Pretty much every track here offers something different from its studio counterparts, and in some cases, like "Be Above It" and "Hall Full Glass of Wine" they even one-up the originals for me. This is an excellent set of immersive guitar psych, which fans who were put off by the heavier synth focus on Currents should really treasure as a last bonus gasp of the old sound (note - I think Currents is awesome). I stand by my earlier appreciation of the alternate versions contained here, but I would be lying if I said the weakness of Parker's voice at various parts weren't frustrating. But hey, that's Tame Impala live - Parker has a thin voice without a lot of range. It's wonderful that his voice sounds like John Lennon sometimes, but it's a damn shame he has a mere morsel of Lennon's power and versatility on the mic. Thankfully, the songs are great, the playing and arrangements are great, and those things make up for Parker's voice breaking awkwardly when he reaches for notes.
By: Whiskeyclone