“Did you know Tame Impala is just one guy?” This question has been asked by countless indieheads hoping to impress others with their musical knowledge, so much so that it has become a popular meme. The question also emphasizes the sheer talent of Kevin Parker, the sole member of Tame Impala: How could “just one guy” play so many different instruments and produce such rich songs? Unfortunately, however, Parker failed to imbue Tame Impala’s newest release with the sort of awe-inspiring quality associated with his past work.
Deadbeat, released on Oct. 17, is Tame Impala’s fifth studio album. The release was highly anticipated by fans, as it has been over five years since the release of Tame Impala’s last album, The Slow Rush, in 2020. Deadbeat marks a creative departure from Parker’s previous work, which was made clear after the release of the singles “Dracula,” “Loser” and “End of Summer” in the weeks leading up to the album’s debut. Though Parker manages to create a few praise-worthy tracks, the album’s overall sound largely comes off as uninteresting and uninspired.
The opening track, “My Old Ways,” starts off with a simple combination of Parker’s vocals and a repeating piano riff. At the one-minute mark, bass, drums and effects join the mix, building nicely on the original idea. The song continues to ramp up in a very satisfying way, delivering a powerful and driving beat that builds momentum and excitement for the rest of the album. Unfortunately, this momentum is killed immediately upon playing the next track. In “No Reply,” Parker delivers painfully uninteresting vocals that he seems to be bored singing. The poor vocals are made worse by comically bad lyrics. When I heard the line “you’re a cinephile, I watch Family Guy,” I genuinely started to laugh out loud at the poor lyrical work on display.
“Dracula” easily stands as one of the best tracks on the album, and helped to revive my hopes for the album after “No Reply.” The song has an addicting feel because of its exceptionally groovy bass and drum parts. Parker also uses a number of musical phrases reminiscent of a retro horror vibe, adding to the fun of listening.
The album provides another drop in the quality with “Loser,” which has consistently bland and uninteresting instrumentation that does not build or go anywhere. Parker’s basic vocals are not strong enough to rescue the track from mediocrity, and the overall sound leaves you desperate to move on to something with more to say. “Oblivion” fails to impress in similar ways. Though the track ramps up in a few sections, these moments are ultimately unsatisfying until the very end of the song.
The repeating beat in “Not My World” becomes quite irritating after a while, not offering much depth at all in the way of sound or quality. The buildup and drop are a welcome change after having to spend almost three minutes listening to the same annoying motif. However, even the section after the drop becomes boring quite quickly, seeming like something created by an amateur DJ rather than an established artist. “Piece of Heaven” stands as one of the more creative tracks on the album, featuring unique synth parts and more impressive layering than many of the others. Parker creates a much more enjoyable balance between higher and lower energy moments on the album, resulting in a truly pleasant track.
“Obsolete” sees a continuation of more rich production and layering, with rich drum and bass parts and a beautiful display of Parker’s signature usage of synths. Parker’s vocals also command greater attention in “Obsolete” as compared to many of his more basic vocal additions in other tracks. “Ethereal Connection” has moments of greatness, but these moments don’t seem strong enough to keep the listener’s attention for the seven minute and 42 second runtime. Though not an outright poor display of Parker’s talents, the song is nothing to write home about.
“See You On Monday (You’re Lost)” somehow manages to feature all of the album’s major weaknesses. Its instrumentation is flat, uninteresting and repetitive; Parker’s vocals share these same characteristics. The song goes nowhere, and does nothing to excite or impress, instead leaving the listener in a state of annoyance and boredom.
Thankfully, “Afterthought” and “End of Summer” are much easier to get through. “Afterthought” features a catchy beat and an engaging vocal performance from Parker. The synth and bass parts are well thought out and provide a great listening experience. “End of Summer,” another seven minute long track, features compelling synth parts reminiscent of the Stranger Things score and a simple, but engaging beat. These elements help make the song much more enjoyable throughout its long runtime as compared to “Ethereal Connection.” After a number of missteps, Parker manages to end the album with an enjoyable song worth listening to.
Though Parker managed to create moments of quality throughout Deadbeat, much of the album is characterized by dullness and senseless repetition. The album easily stands as Tame Impala’s worst, a steep drop in quality compared to his previous work. I admire Parker’s attempts to craft a new sound and style throughout Deadbeat, but he fails to do so in a compelling way and I do not believe I will be returning to the album any time soon apart from a few of its highlights.
Matthew Rentezelas is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be reached at mmr255@cornell.edu.
