The Less I Know The Better by Tame Impala is probably one of the strangest hit songs I’ve heard. There are many smart songwriting techniques in this song that you can apply to your own
About Tame Impala
Tame Impala is a band fronted by songwriter and producer Kevin Parker. He writes and records all the songs, sings, and is a multi-instrumentalist. The band has released multiple albums like “Innerspeaker,” “Lonerism,” “The Slow Rush” and “Currents.” Each album has its own unique sound, but they all have that Tame Impala magic.
To me, their
Tame Impala’s lyrics often talk about emotions, relationships, and thoughts. They are often very dreamy but they can also pump you up like you’re at a party. One of their famous songs is “The Less I Know The Better“. It’s super catchy and has a funky groove. And this is exactly the song we are going to be talking about today. If you need to refresh your memory about the song ‘The Less I Know The Better’, then listen to it here.
Tame Impala Genre
The music of Kevin Parker or Tame Impala fits many genres and I find defining it to be a slippery slope. The question ‘Is Tame Impala indie?’, is not a strange one. Tame Impala’s music is heavily influenced by psychedelic pop. It uses experimental sounds, effects and song structures. The music can feel spacey, dreamy yet energetic. But it also incorporates elements from genres such as:
- Rock
- Disco
- R&B
This mixture of different influences is also what answers the question ‘Why is tame impala so good?‘. Over time their music has developed and matured into something beautiful.
Video Tutorial: How Tame Impala’s Strangest Hit Song Works
If you would like to hear all the examples below with real music check out my video tutorial. I think it’s best if you play the music on an instrument but sometimes just watching is easier.
Songwriting Technique No. 1: Catchy Melodies
Overall the melodies are catchy and easy to memorise and repetition plays a key part in this. The continuation and flow of the melody are strengthened by the constant use of perfect rhyme at the end of each sentence in the verse.
The first verse has 4 separate melodic phrases. Each phrase can be divided into two shorter melodies. Both of them start on the upbeat, which propels the energy forward.
Notice that the melodic contour of the first melody creates a nice arch, while the 2nd phrase starts up and makes its way straight down. The melodies vary in their direction but stay in the same range.
Songwriting Technique No. 2: Great Harmony With Modal Interchange
Nowadays you see more often that producers trade harmonic complexity in favour of a more elaborate production. When you strip down the verse and the b part to their most essential chords, you are only left with two chords each.
The function of the extra chords (G#m and the B major) in the verse is to create more variety in colour and pull towards the chord that comes after them. The B is a fifth apart from E which creates a dominant relationship. The G#m is a fifth apart from the C#m which creates a minor dominant relationship.
In the B part, a D major 7 shows up. But we are in the key of E and normally it should be a D# half-diminished chord. The D major 7, is borrowed from the parallel Dorian mode. Because the chord on the minor 7th scale degree in Dorian is a Major7 chord.
Songwriting Technique No. 3: Original song form or song structure
What makes the form so interesting is the fact that there is no real chorus in this song. The B part which should be the chorus is not catchy enough and the lyric that carries the song title is only sung shortly at the end and after verse 1 and after that no more.
Another interesting feature is that the song ends with a very long C part that consists of completely new material (lyrics and melody). I don’t call this an outro, because it is simply too long and brings too much new information to the table.
Conclusion
With this song analysis, I tried to highlight all the amazing songwriting techniques that Tame Impala uses in ‘The Less I Know The Better’. I think you can agree with me that this song is a true work of art.
I challenge you to find song structures that are new to you and also experiment with different harmony techniques. Two techniques that I would suggest you try out are Modal Interchange and Chromatic mediants.
Other Song Analyses & Suggested Video Tutorial:
If this analysis was useful and interesting, then check out some of my other songwriting analyses. For example, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters, Phoebe Bridgers, The Beatles and more. Also, if you have any song suggestions be sure to let me know!
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