By Devyn Briones
Staff Writer
“Deadbeat,” Tame Impala’s fifth album, was released on Oct. 17, and fittingly, the more you know the better.
The album consists of 12 songs, three of which were made public as singles before the big drop.
The musical genius behind the scenes is Kevin Parker, known as Tame Impala, an Australian singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. Parker is a one-man show, whereas he writers, performs, records and produces all of his own music.
“Another album that almost killed me. 2 years of sweat and tears and self-neglect but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Parker wrote in an Instagram post. “I wouldn’t give you anything that didn’t take my all to make.”
Along with his newest drop, he has also released “InnerSpeaker,” “Lonerism,” “Currents” and “The Slow Rush.”
The cover art is a photo of him and his daughter Peach, born in 2021, hinting that the album is about the era of his life as a father. His daughter wasn’t intended to be on the cover until she photobombed Parker’s photoshoot.
“The photo just has this sort of energy to it. I even feel like the expression on her face is kind of just one of those sort of intriguing uncertain things,” Parker said in an interview. “I just sort of get lost in that photo.”
Parker’s newest album is a bit different than his others. While his previous releases use numerous instruments to give the psychedelic feeling, this album focuses more on its beats, giving an EDM, house-music feel.
The first song featured on the album is titled “My Old Ways.” The song begins slowly with a soft hint of piano, but picks up once the beat drops, introducing an electric vibe as he sings the lyrics “Back into my old ways again.”
“Not My World” is the halfway point of the album. This four-minute creation focuses less on the lyrics and more on the beats. Like most of the other songs, the background gives more of an electro ambience.
“Ethereal Connection,” the ninth listed song, is also a faster paced piece with an evident techno tone. Towards the end, Parker transitions the music from a house music mood to a slower tempo, but still keeping the electronic vibe. He sings, “Don’t you know that I’ll stand by / By your side / ’Til the end of time?” This is the longest song of the album, pushing almost eight minutes.
“End of Summer” is the final song of the album. Its pace and euphoric feel lets listeners know that it’s the finale as he sings “Can we do it tomorrow?”
The album ends with “End of Summer,” a euphoric slow-burning song that signals the finale as Parker sings, “Can we do it tomorrow?” closing the album with a sense renewal.
“Deadbeat” is now streaming, leaving listeners in a techno mood.
