For a moment, Tame Impala was everywhere, and then he disappeared.
Kevin Parker, under the moniker Tame Impala, released his first album at age 24—over a decade ago. A vibrant, poppy debut, it shot him to the top of the charts in his native Australia, leading to sold out shows all over the US and top placements on album lists at the end of the year. The future looked bright for the young star, and he continued to build a storied catalog with a string of landmark albums to the pop and psychedelic genre, which led to top shelf collaborations, lavish brand deals, and everything in between.
And then something changed. His output decreased immensely circa 2016, only dropping a few loosies and features that strayed away from his usual lush sound. Parker experimented, putting down the fuzz pedal and guitar and picking up a drum machine, recording a disco-inspired track for the Barbie soundtrack, and working on songs with Justice and Kaytranada, two goliaths in the world of electronic music. He definitely embodied a Picasso vibe, already paying his dues, which allowed him to be more adventurous and try some out of the ordinary shit.
Much like recent major artist endeavors into house and techno (see Drake’s Honestly, Nevermind, and Charli XCX’s BRAT) Deadbeat introduces a new sound from Parker, bridging the five year gap from his last studio album. It’s polarizing, a stark difference to the other projects in his discography. The change has been met with both open arms and turned backs.
Online music forums have it at a below average rating. Anthony Fantano (the internet’s busiest, and most popular, music nerd) argued it’s by far the worst album that Parker’s put out. Still, Deadbeat continues to top charts, getting high praise from major artists (Travis Scott said it’s the best project to drop in the last two years, but he’s also close friends with Parker, so take that with a grain of salt). I didn’t tap in to any of the singles he dropped leading up to the album, and decided to jump in headfirst the day it released.
Only after the first few tracks, the sound of the album really starts to come to fruition; distorted, dancey, and repetitive. He takes a lot of inspiration from the Australian rave scenes, and the album sounds like it’s straight out of the late 90s deep house movement. He casts his net out wide, covering a wide variety of electronic genres. “Old Ways” gives classic Chicago house vibes, “Ethereal Connection” satisfies the acid house enjoyers, and “Loser” looks back to older Tame Impala songs. It’s a mixed bag, both with music styles and overall quality. I wish he would commit to being more experimental, as my favorite tracks are the ones that he goes most left field on. The others seem basic and H&M-coded. Nevertheless, I really like what he’s doing with the sound of the project, and how he’s using his influence to help bring back a genre of music that’s insanely underlooked.
The main issue I have with this album is the vocals, which get so damn annoying by the back half. In my opinion, the haphazard flows and breathy inflections hold Deadbeat back from being next level, reducing it to just an ordinary pop album. I like how he chose to have no features to make the album more cohesive, but 50 minutes of Parker alone just doesn’t do it for me, especially considering how repetitive the backing tracks can get.
Deadbeat took a minute to grow on me, and it definitely still has some growing to do. It’s not for everyone, but I can definitely see this getting a cult following as the years pass. The main takeaway from Deadbeat: what’s the next step? Parker’s in his bag churning out house beats, and bringing in some new voices, especially those underground to the techno scene, could have made this album so much more both sonically and culturally. This album probably won’t be at the top of my list come December, but it’s awesome seeing musicians go out of their comfort zone to create something fresh.
Fav songs: Ethereal Connection, No Reply
Least fav song: Oblivion
Final rating: 5/10
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