Artistic evolution comes for every memorable musician, whether you like it or not. To selfishly ask an artist to stick to the elements of their sound that made you a fan would be a detriment. How else do you expect greatness if repetition is involved? Where can an artist go when fans and critics have backed them into a corner, begging for the same old sound? Falling victim to these obscene requests could tarnish a legacy, destroy a discography, and leave an artist feeling unsatisfied with their output. Thankfully, Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker not only seems to ignore the fact that he has been positioned as a modern psych-rock icon, but he also wants to prove he is much more than a genre revivalist. Deadbeat, Tame Impala’s first album in five years, does just that.
These 12 songs find Parker leaning on his pop tendencies more than ever, creating a bouncy, infectious tracklist that fearlessly parades in its electro-dance flourishes and sugary vocal melodies. The expectation-shattering release finds Parker diving headfirst into the electronic undertones that bubbled beneath the otherworldly tunes on the band’s 2020 LP. While Parker’s love for electro-pop textures is not new, they have never been presented this vividly. Deadbeat redefines the intricacies that make Tame Impala, and especially Parker, one of the most in-demand collaborators in modern pop, but this is not an album about what the band has accomplished so far; it sets its sights on the future of Tame Impala.
The band’s psychedelic tendencies and pop undertones play a role reversal on Deadbeat, with the more conventional side of Parker shining brighter than ever before. Pretending that this is a simple pop album would do a disservice to the electrifying fun of this tracklist. Ironically, Tame Impala’s departure from the past kicks off with a thudding tune called “My Old Ways,” a mesmerizing, harmony-filled introduction to this new era of Tame Impala. While the opening song to Impala’s fifth LP is shocking, it doubles as a reassurance for long-time fans. Even as their sonic landscape changes, Parker is still penning palpable, introspective lyrics. The neon-tinted “Not My World,” with its haunting vocals and pulsating tempos, explores the concept of being a small part of a larger organism, while the synth-drenched “See You on Monday (You’re Lost)” finds Parker falling victim to a vicious cycle.
The lyrics of Deadbeat scream essential Tame Impala. Still, there is a simplicity to Deadbeat that has never been a part of the band’s repertoire, allowing Parker’s songwriting to feel new and fresh. It might be hard to believe once you’re in the middle of the synth-heavy, pounding production, but Parker’s new sonic terrain leans toward minimalism. The cinematic “Piece of Heaven” is driven by chugging strings and subtle twinkles, and the nearly eight-minute “Ethereal Connection” adds a hyperactive element to nimble, explosive drums.
Tame Impala’s Deadbeat is a groove-filled, earthshattering LP from a band that could’ve easily stuck to their established formula, but Parker’s lofty visions are greater than the expectations surrounding the celebrated musician. These twelve songs do more than satisfy Parker’s hunger for something fresh; they establish Tame Impala as an amorphic sonic giant ready to implement their singularity into whichever genre they please.
