Currents to Coffins

Tame Impala Releases Their New Album “Deadbeat”

Photo from Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 

After nearly two decades of psychedelic pop, Tame Impala has returned with a new album “Deadbeat,” a melancholic reflection on time and youth. Released on Oct. 17, the album is another success for Kevin Parker, the songwriter, lead singer and producer behind Tame Impala. 

Since debuting in 2010 with “InnerSpeaker,” Tame Impala has built an impressive music catalog. “Lonerism” (2012) increased Parker’s audience while “Currents” (2015) propelled him into the mainstream with its fusion of funk, disco and synth-pop. “The Slow Rush ” (2020) reflected on the passage of time with relative lyrics, starting a more mature chapter for Parker’s lyrics. 

With “Deadbeat,” Tame Impala explores themes of self reflection and rebirth through time, similar to “The Slow Rush.” The album’s singles, “Dracula”, “Loser” and “End of Summer”,are blends of nostalgia and innovative music. Loser stands out as a hypnotic melody with guitar riffs and echoing vocals. “Dracula” has a darker tone and cinematic layering with sound samples like bells tolling and laughing. 

“My thing is I get an Airbnb somewhere on the coast–I just find places literally as close to the water as you can get. Staring at the ocean for me just helps me get lost, and there’s a tranquility that comes with it,” Parker said. 

His serenity is more evident in songs like “My Old Ways,” which is both melancholic and rhythmically bright.

Though “End of Summer” is disliked by some fans, its soft fade out and echoey production captures Parker’s oceanic inspiration very well. 

“That’s always something that I get a kick out of: just shaking up expectations,” Parker said, and “Deadbeat” does exactly that with familiar musical elements from “Currents” and the creative elements from “InnerSpeaker.”

Overall, “Deadbeat” secures Tame Impala’s place as one of the most famous figures in psychedelic pop.

<Star Ratings>

Singles: ★★★★★

Emotion and Lyrics: ★★★★★

Backing Track (Instrumentation): ★★★★★

Overall: ★★★★★