Tame Impala’s kaleidoscopic indie-pop single, “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” has been one of the Aussie band’s biggest songs since its release in 2012. But when Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys covered the psychedelic rock hit live and acoustic, he made it sound like a brand new track, amassing 17 million YouTube views in the process!
Tame Impala’s original was a cozy, feel-good pop jam, aired out with oddities, all sounds dissociated in a drug-fueled haze. A lo-fi beat glues its quirks of prog organs and phasers together; the vocals linger in the near distance, detached but vibing like the bleed-through of a party next door.
But in this acoustic rendition, Alex doesn’t need the distractions of a band to back his immense voice. From the first verse of his viral cover, Alex’s velvet Britpop tones become an instant throwback to the mid-noughties, tinged with flairs of Kasabian, Beatles, and Richard Ashcroft.
His slow-strummed chords and vocals crystallized with classic grunge lethargy completely realign the track into a ballad, bringing its lyrics into focus and letting the spotlight shine on their meaning, otherwise murkied beneath the psychedelic glitz of Tame Impala’s original. This track anchors its meaning in the lines, “But that’s the way it seems to go when trying so hard to get something real / It feels like I only go backwards.”
Between his raw talent and breathtaking vocal tones, YouTube viewers have been blown away by this viral vid and are busy sharing love in the comments. One fan hit the nail on the head when they wrote, “Whenever Arctic Monkeys cover a song, they have a way of making it sound like they wrote it,” while another compared Alex’s striking voice to “melted butter on slightly burnt toast.” Others have been left spellbound by Alex’s skills in stripping back such a heavily psychedelic tune, turning it into a grounded and relatable hit, revealing, “I never realised how strong this song is until I heard this version.”
But it’s not just us commoners who have fallen in love with this clip. Kevin Parker of Tame Impala has previously spread his love for Alex’s sound, describing the star as being “in another league” as a songwriter and musician. The two have been rumoured to have a collab in the works for some years now, though nothing has come to light yet.
Alex Turner’s acoustic rendition of “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards” reinvents the Tame Impala classic with a nostalgic Britpop twist, captivating millions. His cover strips away the psychedelic haze, spotlighting his timeless vocal prowess. A tribute to the enduring allure of indie pop, this performance certainly cements Alex’s status as a transformative artist. To delve deeper into this mesmerizing tribute and explore more from both artists, check out the links below.