Deadbeat by Tame Impala shows us how little his music has changed

Album cover from tame Impalas latest studio album "Deadbeat”

The latest album by the musical powerhouse does little to shake up the formula of his previous four albums 

By Megan Anderson 

Kevin Parker, the “one-man band” emerges from Australia where he brings a unique but extremely distinct sound. His music is psychedelic-pop and sometimes leans into rock. He has reached a new level of musical talent during his career, being nominated for several Grammys and winning one for a collaboration with Justice for 2024’s “Neverender”. Parker is unmatched in his field. His live music is considered to be bucket list worthy by millions around the globe. Parker now has five studio albums including Deadbeat. His alter ego, Tame Impala has many influences, such as The Beatles and Britney Spears. Parker blends these two conflicting styles of music and creates an amazing, out of this world sound. 

Deadbeat is almost Parker’s “yearning” album. Through these songs we’re exposed to a story of Parker clinging to the darker side of his life while pining after someone unattainable. The album has 12 songs which makes it almost acceptable to wallow in tragedy. Parker brings a lot of self-loathing in this album and awareness of how he has fallen back into a darker side of himself. The first song of this album “My Old Ways” makes it clear that this album has the same style as Parker’s previous albums. This isn’t necessarily bad but it’s repetitive and beginning to become old.  

The song starts with some piano and quiet vocals. At exactly one minute the song transforms into a new kind of sound with a faster beat. “Back into my old ways again”, this lyric tells us how Parker has fallen into his old harmful ways.  It makes you feel like you’re seeing into Parker’s vulnerability. The song then ends with Parker repeating “Back into my old ways again” which deeply emphasises the message of the song to us. 

The second song, “No Reply” brings in the person Parker sings about throughout the album. In this song we hear about the person Parker is pining after. Throughout this song Parker talks down on himself and compare himself to this person. He tells us how he was the one who didn’t treat the other person right. He also compares himself to this other person, “You’re a cinephile, I watch Family Guy” Parker feels mediocre compared to the other person. The song starts to feel like its heading towards a peak when it suddenly mellows down which makes you feel like you almost had something but then lost it (a bit like how he lost this person he’s singing about).  

Dracula, the third song in the album is one of the most pivotal songs in the album. It has a more intense opening compared to the previous songs which makes you feel a sense of tension. “Daylight makes me feel like Dracula” stands out. It tells us how light and happier things in Parker’s life feel unreachable. He repeats “Daylight makes me feel like Dracula” at the end of the song, which really drives into our mind how unusual happy things make Parker feel. 

The sixth song, “Not My World” Parker describes his desire to have a normal life. “Makes me realise it’s not my world” Parker doesn’t believe he could live a normal life, and it isn’t his world to have. 

The ninth song, “Ethereal” Starts off with an almost club like beat and gets increasingly intense until the first lyric “I don’t believe in magic” This song at the start sounds like it could be in a rave but it eventually mellows down where he repeats the same lyric from earlier “I don't believe in magic”. This song gives a message of a once in a lifetime relationship. “Take a ride”, “Say goodbye”. This could be Parker expressing how much the relationship meant to him. 

The last song in the album, “The end of summer” makes you feel like you’re in an underground club with the heavy bass, the song is about ending a romantic relationship and just being friends. Which gives us a nice conclusion to this story. Throughout the song Parker expresses how the relationship meant a lot to him. 

Overall, I think this album is good but isn’t anything special compared to his other music. Parker has stayed safe with this album but hasn’t necessarily amazed anyone. This album certainly has the possibility to hit closer to home for some people rather than others. Relatability is definitely an important aspect to this album. 

Star rating – 3.5/5 

Written for CityLive