Sonic surprises on ‘Currents’; ‘Pomegranates’ runs deeper than weird

Tame Impala, “Currents� (Interscope). The songs on the new album by Australian songwriter, singer and primary Tame Impala member Kevin Parker double down on the tripped-out psychedelia of his earlier work. But “Currents� accomplishes this through a lightness of touch and a broader palette. As on the 2012 breakout hit “Elephant,� Parker loves surprise sonic maneuvers. “Past Life� opens with a pitch-bent spoken-word piece before moving into a down-tempo exploration of reincarnation. “The Moment� shines through a blend of odd synth-pop tones, a catchy melody and a finger-snapped beat. Throughout, “Currents� wends through bridges and hooks that glisten with modernity.

Nicolas Jaar, “Pomegranates� (free download). On its own, electronic music composer Nicolas Jaar’s new score to the 1969 film “The Color of Pomegranates� is a striking experience. Dense with floating, beatless synthetic washes interrupted by sublime moments of galloping electronic rhythms, the score offers a new angle on a visually rich film. Jaar recently released his rework, which he created out of various extant recordings, as a free download. Better, though, is to visit YouTube to simultaneously experience the visual and aural feasts.

In notes accompanying the release, Jaar describes being “dumbfounded� by the late Armenian director Sergei Parajanov’s feature film when he first saw it, but he also “felt the aesthetic made complete sense with the strange themes I had been obsessed with over the last couple of years.� Jaar went on a two-day bender syncing his music with the film, and the result is what he describes as “a weird collage of the ambient music I had made over the last two years.� That’s true, but the results run much deeper than mere weirdness.

Jill Scott, “Closure� (Blues Babe/Atlantic). The new song by Scott features solid cowbell action throughout, an essential ingredient that propels the minimal funk track in a curious direction. The artist, whose work throughout her career has been consistently surprising, rose as part of the so-called neo-soul movement of the early ‘00s, but “Closure� is hardly a throwback. Rather, the defiant track, from her forthcoming studio album, “Woman,� is hard soul that vibes with 21st century spirit.