Many music fans have had today circled on their calendars for some time because Tame Impala is officially back.
Kevin Parker, better known as Tame Impala, is dropping his new album “Deadbeat”, which is his first in five years. Many fans are wondering what he has in store with this latest installment in his discography.
“Deadbeat” follows his critically acclaimed album, “The Slow Rush”, which leaned into a psychedelic disco-funk sound and has more than 2 billion streams on Spotify. It won Album of the Year at the ARIA Music Awards.
“The Slow Rush” cemented Tame Impala as one of modern music’s most inventive producers. Ever since that last release, Tame Impala has kept his fans curious about the new album. He has been very quiet, only releasing varied collaborations and features on top of cryptic teasers about what’s to come.
Tame Impala released three lead singles prior to the album. The first song, “End of Summer” is a seven-minute ballad of heartbreak over synthy and danceable production that hit streaming platforms on July 25.
The song is nothing short of amazing. It very reminiscent of his song, “It Might Be Time”, with its disco-type vibe, which he hasn’t fully delved into yet in his discography.
The song’s progression is really nice, leaning into the slow build up that Tame Impala has mastered. It’s on full display in “End of Summer”.
His second single, “Loser” offers a slower performance and instrumentals than “End of Summer”. It’s a fairly boring track, with little to no progression from the start. Unfortunately, the near four-minute run-time was an unenthusiastic sounding loop.
Many students on campus are excited about “Deadbeat” after hearing the first two songs. The album will feature 12 songs.
“Both are really good, they sounded really unique,” junior Karan Saluja said. “It’s something I love most about his music.”
The third and final single, “Dracula”, is one of the most ethereal and ominous sounding songs he’s produced. It is definitely the most different from his normal style, creating a whole new sound which is typically a good direction for artists to move in. The production of “Dracula” is so unique sounding and hopefully sets the stage for a more unexpected style on “Deadbeat.”
Tame Impala’s music has always blurred genres and broken boundaries, as his sound has influenced so many popular artists. Musicians such as The Weeknd and Travis Scott have cited him as an inspiration, claiming his production style has shaped modern psychedelia.
But until the release day, fans are left to analyze, predict, and hit that restart button on the three singles.
“This has the potential to be top five albums ever in the history of albums ever, maybe,” junior Rajeev Sethuraman said.
One thing is for sure though, now that the day has finally arrived, Tame Impala’s latest chapter will either confirm predictions, or completely flip expectations. Either way, it’s bound to be one of the most important moments in music this fall.
