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Classic Indie Cover: Tame Impala - Stranger in Moscow
Indie | Tuesday 25th November 2014 |
Imagine Michael Jackson's 'Stranger In Moscow' . Now take some LSD, some Valium and synthesisers and voila, you have Tame Impala's very own unique take on Jackson's (slightly morbid) 1990s track. Now, I've never fully understood the lyrics to this track, I find them slightly confusing: are Jackson/Impala actually wandering around Moscow feeling misunderstood, being stalked by the KGB and getting their camera in a twist at the Kremlin? Or is this a deeply felt love song in which the emotional toil of being in love is comparable with walking around in Russia whilst it's raining? Either way, I'm pretty sure the Russian tourist board won't be using this on any of their infomercials any time soon.
Now, before we go any further I think we should call a spade a spade and admit that this is not one of Jackson's best songs. Not by a long shot. How fortunate then that Tame Impala came along with their psychedelic melodies and lethargic vocals and mellowed the entire affair out . It's a testament to Impala's signature sound that the song is barely recognisable (and a lot better than the original). If Michael Jackson was a 'Stranger in Moscow' then Tame Impala is 'Stoned in Moscow' which sounds like a lot more fun. 'How does it feel? / When you're alone/ And it's cold inside', when Jackson asks this, the honest answer is pretty damn depressed, with Impala, it feels good, pretty damn good indeed.
