Recommended Tracks: “My Old Ways”, “Obsolete”, “Afterthought”, “End Of Summer”
Similar artists: Pond, MGMT, Empire of the Sun
Five years on from his last release, Kevin Parker re-emerges with Deadbeat, a 12-track trip that feels both familiar and completely new as Tame Impala steps into a new sound. It’s also one of his most emotional records yet. Beneath the glossy beats and hypnotic loops, Parker sounds more anxious and self-aware than ever, turning his usual dreamlike sound inward.
To put it simply, Parker changed the sound of modern psychedelia. For more than a decade, he has been doing his own thing. His mix of rock, pop, and electronic music has been influential to a generation of artists, but what has always set Tame Impala apart is Parker’s ability to shapeshift without ever losing his sound. Songs like The Less I Know The Better and Feels Like We Only Go Backwards made him a pop culture reference point.
It’s easy to overlook just how much of the 2010s Tame Impala shaped. You can hear Tame Impala’s fingerprints all over pop, including on collaborations with Dua Lipa, Travis Scott, and Lady Gaga. Back when Tame Impala first appeared with Innerspeaker in 2010, he got a nod from Pitchfork, who described the album as a “psychedelia-heavy outing” that “toys with paisley pop, stoner vibes, and an expansive array of swirling guitars.” His early stuff leaned into late ’60s tropes, and Parker’s vocals were often compared to John Lennon.
But 15 years since his first release and his dive into a new sound of electronic acid house, where is Tame Impala on his musical journey now? This time, Parker sounds more honest and a bit anxious, letting the cracks show in a way that feels more real than ever.
Fast forward to 2025: Deadbeat marks Tame Impala’s new era. After years spent refining his sound, this album embraces minimalism and rhythm. Moving through psych-rock, psych-pop, and now psych-dance, it’s still unmistakably Tame Impala.
“My Old Ways” feels like the emotional centrepiece of Deadbeat. It’s confessional and honest, capturing a moment of self-reflection through the album’s euphoria. The track starts with a loose, slightly uneven piano that instantly grabs you – raw and unpolished in a way that makes it stick. The melody gets under your skin and lingers throughout the album, looping quietly in your head as you wait for it to return. His voice sounds both tired and tender, as if he’s aware of falling back into old habits. The track acts as an anchor, with his lyrics looping like an array of thoughts. The sounds are warm, and there’s a steady, driving beat throughout.
The singles from the album stirred up hype for Deadbeat. All three were so different from one another, leaving everyone wondering where the album would go.
“End of Summer” was a divisive first taste of Deadbeat. Some loved it, others didn’t. It’s one of Tame Impala’s most dance-oriented tracks so far, leaning fully into an acid house sound. It’s experimental and contrasts with anything Parker’s released before. At just over seven minutes long, it plays more like a proper dance track, filled with sounds of psychedelic electronica. It has a dance-floor energy, full of loops, clipped melodies, and fuzzy textures, and thrives on rhythm and repetition.
His airy vocals are still there, creating that familiar sound we know and love, even while pushing into house and rave territory. It’s evident that Australian outdoor doof culture has influenced him here, capturing the energy of open-air raves more than bedroom psychedelia.
“Loser” feels more like classic Tame Impala. It’s groovy and dreamy, built on a funky guitar riff that’s an instant hook. It’s full of analog synth textures and hazy sounds that defined Currents. The track doesn’t progress much; it locks into a hypnotic rhythm and stays there. It feels like Tame Impala at its most relaxed.
“Dracula” is a playful track. It has disco-like production mixed with party-culture lyrics, sounding very Dua Lipa coded. The track has minimal instrumentation compared to his other work, but it’s carefree. The lyricism is clever, though, showing Parker’s knack for blending light-hearted fun with that dreamy, hypnotic edge.
“Not My World” is another deep cut, sitting halfway through the record. It feels lonely but calm; there’s a sense of drifting through both the soundscape and the lyrics about floating and feeling out of place. It’s built on a slow, pulsing rhythm and a steady beat that keeps everything moving in circles. Parker repeats “It’s not my world” in a low, weighted tone, and it feels a little uneasy, like quiet acceptance rather than resolution.
“Afterthought,” on the other hand, is a straightforward pop moment. It’s catchy and built on a groovy bassline with a glossy, retro bounce. There are hints of “Thriller”-era Michael Jackson in the production, and you can hear echoes of Parker’s work with The Weeknd. It’s easy listening – simple, polished, and one of the nicest-sounding tracks on the record.
Speaking on the production of the album in an interview with Triple J, Parker said,
“One of the things with this album that I wanted to do was just use like a really small amount of sounds and not just use the whole studio, you know? I just wanted to make this really condensed sound. Even though there’s like techno and there’s sort of psych rock or whatever you want to call it, to me they kind of fit together, and again I can’t really explain why, but that’s kind of how I feel.”
He didn’t want Deadbeat to sound safe or familiar. It’s different, sometimes messy, but it’s real. Deadbeat shows Kevin Parker still changing, still chasing something new.
