Tame Impala’s 5th album, “Deadbeat” was released this October. This marks five years since his last album, “The Slow Rush.” “Deadbeat” marks a significant shift in Tame Impala’s style. The album is an electronic twist on the Iconic neo-psychedelic rock that Tame Impala is known for. The name “Deadbeat” matches Kevin Parker’s new look, with short hair, sandals, and a rugged look. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Kevin stated that the album took him about a year to complete. He said the rushed and rugged nature of the album was an intentional decision to distance himself from the high-quality, polished, and layered songs of “Currents” and “The Slow Rush.”
Prior to its release, three singles were dropped to stir up expectations. The first of which was “End of Summer”, a 7-minute-long “House” track that dropped on July 25, almost three months before the full album. This was followed by “Loser” and “Dracula,” three great and very distinct tracks from this album.
To kick off “Deadbeat”, Kevin opens up with the first track, titled “My Old Ways”. It’s a throwback to his rooted and unpolished beginnings with “Innerspeaker”. It starts slow and slowly builds up layers, slowly shifting from a fuzzy and imperfect recording into a studio-grade track. It sets a harsh tone while touching upon feelings of temptation and relapse. The lyrics, “Temptation feels like it never ends, I’m sliding, only notice it now and then,“ get this point across directly.
Track number two, “No Reply” is a strong addition. It deals with themes of connection after living a life of isolation, something that Kevin has stated he struggles with. Even further, it talks about self-doubt and social awkwardness. However, its story isn’t all this track has to offer. It’s short, sweet, and to the point, with a really laid-back but memorable chorus.
The biggest song of his album so far, “Dracula” is a short pop track with an undeniably groovy mix. It’s an absolute vibe, and it dropped right before Halloween, which was even more perfect. Kevin’s quirky mix of instruments comes together to make a fluid and unique song like nothing else on the album. The lyrics are also a masterpiece, with some of the most singable parts in his discography resulting from this track.
“Loser”, the fourth track, was one of the album’s pre-releases. It has a catchy rhythm, but kind of corny lyrics. It has a strong lead and interesting percussion. Overall, it’s a simple, surface-level track with a simple message.
“Oblivion” is another simple mix.. This song has buried vocals, like most of Tame Impala’s previous work. Kevin has stated before that he was rather insecure about his voice, which led to his signature, buried and distorted vocals. He brings this feeling back with “Oblivion”. It’s a very laid-back, chill song, but not the strongest of the album.
“Not My World” is the sixth track of “Deadbeat”. It’s not the best start, but it builds a strong progression into the meat of the song. It’s not a lyric-heavy song. In my opinion, the parts with lyrics make the song worse. This track is absolutely one of his super techno and experimental mixes. The beat drop at 2:45 is the best part, but other than that, it’s underwhelming.
“Piece Of Heaven” was a personal favorite on release. This song makes you feel like you’re floating the first time you hear it. It’s a super thought-out, layered, progressive, and emotional song. The synths are remarkable and absolutely need to be studied. His lyrics totally match the song’s vibe. This track talks about the small slice of heaven Kevin experiences in his daughter’s room. It’s about finding contentment and safety in a domestic setting, something he never had growing up. Hands down, the best track of the album. “Piece Of Heaven” is a perfect blend of Tame Impala’s old and new style; a transition piece of layered psychedelic synths and electronic techno. It’s truly a piece of heaven…
Following absolute peak, comes “Obsolete”. It’s a strong contrast to the emotional tone of previous tracks. It has a strong upbeat vibe and seems to be one of the stronger, more layered tracks. The lyrics are forefront. It’s a super atmospheric song; little noises like bells add ear candy. The little synth riff at the end makes this song super memorable.
“Ethereal Connection” is a super-long track to fill out the album’s ninth song. This song delivers on the house track that “End of Summer” promised. The oscillating synths at the forefront create a slow and laidback vibe. It builds layers better than any other song. However, it’s not a personal favorite. Unlike “End of Summer”, it feels too long and repetitive; “End of Summer” steered clear of this with substantial mood changes, which “Ethereal Connection” does not have.
“See You On Monday” is the tenth track of “Deadbeat”. It’s more than underwhelming. The lead is not remarkable, and the mix seems to lack direction. It’s another fairly basic song with a repetitive loop. The one saving grace comes at the end of the song when all the layers come together for a nice moment. This, mixed with the heartfelt message of feeling lost in his relationships, saves the song a little bit.
“Afterthought” is one way to wrap up this album. It has amazing instrumental choices. The percussion and bass are powerful with a perfect mix of electronic effect layers. The lyrics are great and have an interesting mix of reverb, which makes them even more noticeable. This track is so catchy. It’s easily a top-three track of the album. Picks back up at 3 minutes in with that beautiful bass that Tame Impala loves so much. “No matter what I do… I’m an afterthought to you.”
“End Of Summer” ends this album at track number twelve. This song grew on me over the three months that led up to the album’s release. At 7:13, the song is really long (something that can drag if not done properly). It has an emphasis on electronic sounds and strong, punchy percussion. Kevin went for a laid-back, late-night drive, wrap-up vibe for this track. As House music, this music is obviously straying far from home, but the tonal shifts, use of synths from “Currents” and “The Slow Rush” add so much to love. This is a great way for Tame Impala to end his fifth album.
“Deadbeat” marks the beginning and the end of Tame Impala as we know it. It’s an enormous and controversial shift in genre, but something Kevin stated was an obvious next step to him.