Following a three-year hiatus from creating music, singer, songwriter and sole producer of Tame Impala, Kevin Parker, released “Deadbeat” on Oct. 17. As someone who had never heard his music before, I was curious to see what Parker had to offer.
Gazing at the monotone album cover, a candid photo of Parker and his daughter Peach, it offers a view into Parker’s life experience as a father. However, the heart-warming photo of Parker and his daughter hugging contrasts with the album title, which is commonly used to describe parents who cannot support their children.
This visual sets the stage for “Deadbeat,” where Parker displays emotional honesty within his lyrics and openly reflects his personal life.
In “Loser,” Parker sings, “I’m a tragedy / Tryna figure this whole mess out… / Tried to correct it, well, sh*t, I wrecked it.” These lyrics show that Parker is willing to be self-critical through his songwriting, revealing a level of raw lyricism that intrigues me.
Additionally, Parker pulls inspiration from the 1960s and 80s in his instrumentals, including psychedelic rock, electronic music and synth-pop sounds, which vary significantly from my usual music taste. This retro style was interesting at first, but later started sounding over-dramatic.
Even though I prefer more modern songwriting, the old-school inspired songs made the album a unique listen for me.
These throwback styles are also reflected in his music video for “My Old Ways,” which displays intricate lighting effects that make viewers feel as if they are in a past era. However, this video style did little to capture my interest due to its literal shaky start.
Parker used dull colors and constant camera movement, making the video seem low quality. Toward the end of the video, though, I enjoyed seeing the brighter colors and the nature setting Parker incorporated, with its vibrant greenery and sunsets.
Still, “My Old Ways” is the musical highlight of “Deadbeat,” mainly because it matches the standards of his more popular songs from other albums. It starts off with minimal instrumentals, but suddenly kicks off with a captivating and catchy beat at the chorus when Parker starts singing, “back into my old ways again.”
However, as I listened to more songs, I began to pay attention to the lyrics less. The music started to sound too similar, and I became disengaged after a while.
When listening to his more well-known albums, like “Currents” from 2015 and the 2020 album “Slow Rush,” it seems Parker included more varied, upbeat music than “Deadbeat,” which left a stronger impression on me.
These songs focus on high-energy beats that engage me, something I wish Parker utilized more in “Deadbeat.” Parker often uses similar, mellow sounds in his new album, whereas his previous albums feature more captivating qualities.
Altogether, I am glad that Tame Impala’s new album introduced me to a completely new genre of alternative music I would not have gravitated toward at first. Nevertheless, Parker could improve on hooking listeners with more diversity within his songs, keeping them engaged throughout.
