It’s 56 minutes and five seconds of peaceful, psychedelic sound. It’s stardom, balancing tameness, revelry and fatherhood. It’s “Deadbeat,” Tame Impala’s newest studio album. Released on Friday, Oct. 17, this collection of songs surpassed the expectations of most listeners.
Kevin Parker, the sole member of Tame Impala, is known for his trippy sound, and this album is no exception; 12 tracks of self-reflection truly make a listener contemplate every last lyric. In an interview with World Famous KROQ, Parker said he intends for the album to be listened to “just loud enough.” Whether that be in a car, headphones or a speaker, the album was meant to be enjoyed thoroughly. Some songs in particular deserve individual notes.
The opening track “My Old Ways” holds its steady and disco-groove beat for all five hypnotic minutes and follows the painful idea of self sabotaging back into old habits. The bridge encapsulates this feeling so effortlessly: “Temptation, feels like it never ends / I’m sliding, powerless as I descend / Back into my old ways again.” The beat is memorable and draws the listener to keep coming back.
“Oblivion,” the fifth track, revolves around the idea of longing to the point where your thoughts become completely consumed by the person, bringing the idea of optimism to the album. Obvious lyrics such as “You’re so far away, endlessly I tried to reach you” and “when I saw your face, I was hypnotized, baby” show this. That’s one defining aspect of Parker’s music; you can analyze and pull as many themes as you’d like, but there’s usually at least one explicit theme that can be noted from just a single listen.
“Afterthought” keeps the longing theme, but this time in a regretful manner. As opposed to the hopeful tone of “Oblivion,” this song discusses longing for a relationship that has already ended. Lyrics such as “No matter what I do / I’m an afterthought to you” give this theme away, even through the hopeful background music. This song’s placement near the end of the album shows the split of themes: sabotage, hope, then back to regret.
Prior to the release of the full album, “Loser,” “End of Summer” and “Dracula” were put out as singles. All were incredibly strong at the time of release, meshed well with the remainder of the album and gave listeners a preview of what Parker would try to convey throughout.
The same themes of longing and acceptance can be observed through the rest of the tracks: “No Reply,” “Not My World,” “Piece of Heaven,” “Obsolete,” “Ethereal Connection” and “See You On Monday (You’re Lost).” This is a no skip album, full of lyrics and beats to unpack in every minute.
In general, Parker seems to express his most difficult themes through his happiest sound. This makes the themes noticeably easier to swallow — perhaps that’s the appeal of his music to most of his audience. Tame Impala is the bridge between the psychedelic and mainstream music worlds, for good reason. There’s no sense in arguing that music can’t be enjoyed by all, and artists that manage to fill voids between genres should be admired in the music industry.
Some fans have criticized how Parker has been slowly moving away from his old sound. Comments across social media platforms argue that Deadbeat is “basically house music” or “not the Currents re-do we wanted.” This is a common criticism of new albums, as people want a familiar sound from the artists they love. Through this album, though, it’s clear that Parker has simply evolved his music with the evolution of the genre. It’s not 2010 anymore; we shouldn’t expect music to be stuck in the past.
Other than the immediate criticism, fans obsess over the lyrics of the entire album. The fan favorites are definitely “My Old Ways,” “Oblivion” and “Afterthought” for the time being. But “if you’re still making your mind up” (from “No Reply”) on your favorite track, then give them all another listen; the album was definitely worth the wait.
[4.5/5]