Have You Heard... Tame Impala's 'Deadbeat'?

Album artwork by Robert Beatty (@robertbeattyart - IG), cover reproduced not-for-profit and in compliance with Australian Coyright Law

Few modern Australian artists behold the same aura as Kevin Parker. From the psychedelic swirls featured throughout ‘Lonerism’ or ‘Innerspeaker,’ to the glossy introspection of ‘The Slow Rush’ and ‘Currents,’ through Tame Impala, Parker has built a legacy of combining innovation with emotional weight. With all that in mind, when ‘Deadbeat’ was announced (and subsequently dropped), fans (like myself) were reasonably expecting another reinvention. However, the final product was a little stranger than initially expected. To be clear, ‘Deadbeat’ is by no means the failure that some corners of the internet would have you believe, however, nor is it the masterpiece that some individuals are forcing it to be. Personally, ‘Deadbeat’ landed in the middle: interesting, with a couple standout tracks, but far from his best work of old.

'Deadbeat' - Different Foundation?

Sonically speaking, ‘Deadbeat’ takes almost a completely different approach from the psychedelia of ‘Lonerism’ or ‘Currents’ and the sleek, funk finish present on ‘The Slow Rush.’ Instead, ‘Deadbeat’ is rooted largely in pop or dance music, and while there are plenty of elements from his previous work, the majority of ‘Deadbeat’ seems almost completely new (and not always in a good way). Synths shimmer, synths sparkle, the bass grooves are still funkier than ever, and Parker’s iconic falsetto still floats above most tracks. But for some reason, for me, the dance vibe intended here just felt flat. 

Lowlights

Tracks like ‘No Reply,’ ‘Oblivion,’ ‘Piece of Heaven,’ ‘Ethereal Connection,’ and ‘End of Summer’ were emblematic of this overall, boring dance foundation. ‘No Reply’ served as my least favourite entry on ‘Deadbeat,’ due to the dull vocal melody, as well as, the consistently-boring beat. While there were some synths present in the background, as well as, a stark melodic change towards the end of the track, they just weren’t enough to save ‘No Reply’ from being one of the worst entries featured. Additionally, ‘Ethereal Connection,’ was another lowlight for me on ‘Deadbeat.’  The song is nearly eight minutes long and features the same, bass-heavy beat for the strong majority, only adding slight melodic elements here and there. Tracks like these are emblematic of where ‘Deadbeat’ went astray for me - boring, uninspired dance beats that have little-to-no unique quality to them.

Highlights 

Conversely, however, that’s not to say that ‘Deadbeat’ doesn’t feature some really good tracks as well. Tracks like ‘My Old Ways,’ ‘Dracula,’ and ‘Loser’ proved to be some absolutely stellar additions to Tame Impala’s discography overall. Focusing on ‘Dracula,’ and ‘Loser’ in particular, I felt like these tracks found the perfect balance between Tame Impala’s prior sound, and the intended dance-infused pop vibe. ‘Dracula’ had a sleek, disco-like beat that was full of these little synth embellishments that were super immersive. The track had a very spooky, almost haunting atmosphere to it, created by these choir-like vocal echoes and synth melodies similar to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller.’ All of these elements combined with an extremely catchy vocal melody to create what I thought was the best track featured on ‘Deadbeat.’

‘Loser’ furthered this trend, perfectly mixing the old Tame Impala with the new. The track is driven by groovy, funk-inspired guitar and bass-lines, featuring lyrics that revolve around self-deprecation, as well as heartbreak. Parker’s vocals swell around the main rhythms, and the synth melodies within the background create the same tone of psychedelia synonymous throughout Tame Impala’s discography. Despite its slower pace, the four-on-the-floor-based drum groove only contributes more to the combination of Tame Impala eras featured on ‘Loser.’ 

To summarise, however, ‘Deadbeat’ just feels like a major misstep in terms of creative direction. While this album is definitely not as bad as some people online have made it out to be, I do think it is a far-cry from Kevin Parker/Tame Impala’s groundbreaking back catalogue. In an era where every move of Kevin Parker’s (or Tame Impala’s) is treated like a groundbreakingly cultural event, dare I say that ‘Deadbeat’s’ biggest sin is just being ordinary?