Tame Impala, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker’s musical project, often slips into psychedelic, hypnotic sounds. From “Currents” (2015) to “The Slow Rush” (2020), Parker embraces funkiness to the fullest. After his five-year hiatus, Tame Impala’s fifth studio album, “Deadbeat,” released on Oct. 17, continues his dreamy and ethereal style with a new lyrical perspective: melancholy and madness.
On the third track, “Dracula,” Parker embraces harrowing feelings of disconnection and emptiness while utilizing his signature reverb and vocal distortion. Parker details his desire to be alone, singing, “I'm on the verge of caving in, I run back through thе dark.” Parker describes a vampire to showcase how isolating his thoughts are. Similar to how vampires withdraw from sunlight into the darkness, Parker separates himself from the world as a coping mechanism for his anxiety. Parker repeatedly mixes his voice, creating a choral effect that evokes a gothic and spooky sound, furthering the track’s dark and edgy aesthetic.
The 10th track, “See You on Monday (You’re Lost),” echoes the same desolate feelings as Parker again details his anxiety. “And it happens at every turn I'm at,” Parker sings, referring to his never-ending spiral. By repeating the phrase “You’re lost,” Parker tells listeners that they, like himself, may not have their lives figured out. Accompanied by a synth, Parker expresses vulnerability, creating an intimate atmosphere that enhances the song’s emotional impact.
But some tracks on the record are forgettable. The repetitive beats and lyrics in “Oblivion” overshadow the song’s romantic intent, and the message gets lost in the track’s boring production, which obscures Parker’s soft vocals. The chorus only consists of the phrase “I would,” and the bridge repeatedly echoes the line “It won't stay the same / In a normal life, I want to.” The repetition in “Oblivion” unnecessarily distracts from the yearning that plagues Parker.
The tracks “Not My World” and “Piece of Heaven” share the same flaws as “Oblivion,” featuring mediocre instrumentals combined with minimal lyrics. These songs create a lull in the album that does not match the lyrical and production-heavy songs at the beginning and end of the record. With these two tracks, the album loses its primary focus: presenting an unrefined and natural representation of Parker's conflicted mind. “Not My World” consists of one verse and chorus — the rest is instrumental — and within the song’s few lyrics, Parker fails to change his vocal emphasis, which dulls the song.
“Piece of Heaven” offers a hazy, sparkly sound, feeling out of place from the ghostly tone throughout “Deadbeat.” On this track, Parker embraces positivity, singing, “Now I'm in your bedroom, oh / It's a small piece of heaven, I find myself in” and “To you, it's untidy, maybe / To me, it's divine.” While a strong individual track, the joyful tune appears disjointed compared to the rest of the melancholic project.
“Deadbeat” has its shortcomings, but Parker’s exploration of mental health creates a compelling throughline between tracks. Whether discussing his overwhelming anxiety, isolation from others or the fear of being forgotten, Parker embraces the taboo. In the first track on the record, “My Old Ways,” Parker explains, “I know what's comin', ain't so shockin,'” referring to his musical return and his hyper-awareness of how others perceive him. Parker sits in his uncertainty, and the pulsing psychedelic sounds add a layer of persistent panic to the record.
Parker’s mental state is the key focus of “Deadbeat,” prompting listeners to wonder if he is okay. The album’s funky sound makes the music feel sonically disorganized, suggesting that no amount of production can hide Parker’s complex, confusing emotions. With “Deadbeat,” Parker creates a tenuous connection between listeners and himself, offering a fusion of experimental sounds and bleak lyrics that strain under the weight of his anxiety-ridden voice.
