Perfect Pitch: "Deadbeat"

Belmont Vision Multimedia, Zach Watkins

Welcome back to another edition of “Perfect Pitch,” a series where members of the Belmont Vision review the latest releases in music and look for the next big thing.   

This week we’ll be discussing the fifth studio album, “Deadbeat,” from Australian singer songwriter, Kevin Parker, also known as Tame Impala. 

In a notorious discography, Tame Impala's previous work includes 2015 hits “The Less I Know The Better,” “Eventually” and “Let It Happen” from his third studio album “Currents,” and "Borderline" from his 2020 album, “The Slow Rush.” Kevin Parker is known for blending psychedelic rock with electronic and pop influences. Over the years, Parker’s meticulous production and introspective lyrics have earned Tame Impala critical acclaim and a dedicated global following. 

Released on October 17, 2025, “Deadbeat” Tame Impala’s fifth studio album marks a bold departure into more electronic, club-centric territory. Inspired by the Western Australia’s rave genre, the record blends dance beats with Parker’s signature psychedelic textures. Lyrically, it explores themes of self-sabotage, the minutiae of adult anxieties and the feeling of being a “deadbeat” stuck in a loop, rather than the reflections of time in previous albums. 

Benjamin Tino - Vision Writer 

Overall Rating: 5/10

General Thoughts: 

Tame Impala, spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist Kevin Parker is his fifth studio album and is, once again, a regression from his previous works. After a five-year hiatus, Parker came back with his least ambitious project yet. Tame Impala pushed the rock movement throughout the 2010s with incredible psych rock projects like “Lonerism” and “Innerspeaker,” after moving onto a psychedelic pop album with his most popular project, “Currents.” All of these projects are modern classics, but with his most recent two projects, we have seen Parker begin to get lazy. In this most recent project, a lot of the songs feel like recycled ideas, aside from a few massive highlights. On top of this, we see Kevin experimenting with more EDM and house elements, which fall completely flat. These songs are played out for an excessive amount of time, making up the weakest tracks on the project. Aside from this, Kevin was still able to muster up some incredible, catchy tracks that carry the remainder of the album. Despite its shortcomings, “Deadbeat” was still able to offer some incredible tracks, and holds some replay value for anybody.

Favorite Song: “Loser”

Least Favorite Song: “Ethereal Connection”

Favorite Lyric: “I don't know why I didn't fight it/ I probably tried and magnified it/I cannot lie, I feel defeated/Take it as a sign, you're badly needed.”

What themes or moods dominate this album, and how effectively are they conveyed through the music?

“Deadbeat” does not hold a substantial amount of topical focus, but rather attempts to communicate its message through the production of the album. Tame Impala’s synth heavy production allows the listener to get lost in a hazy atmosphere, and interpret the music in their own way. Parker’s writing on this project is not nearly as focused as his earlier efforts, but holds a lot of love songs that speak about his regret in past relationships. This takes the album to a slightly darker place, but a lot of the project's message is still up for interpretation. Standout tracks like “Piece of Heaven” are very upbeat, and contradict the dark themes of the album. While the album is not very focused in its mood, it offers the listener a unique experience, despite the quality of the tracks.

Samantha Graessle - Arts and Entertainment Editor 

Overall Rating: 6.5/10 

General Thoughts: 

While I believe this is Tame Impala’s worst album by far, it is not a bad album. I gave it a 6.5/10, because it sounds in most parts interesting and fresh. I enjoyed the EDM and experimental sound of the album, which Kevin Parker mentioned in a Studio Brussel interview where he stated he hoped to be "free from sonic perfection." I appreciate his willingness to diverge from his typical sound, although his fans often pressure him to continue releasing the same type of music over and over. I still heard influences from past albums on“My Old Ways” and “Dracula” which both like a fresh spin on the classic in electronic pop Tame Impala sound. However, by the end of the album, I felt that not only the house mix sound was starting to get repetitive, but I also found a significant lack of lyrical depth with this album. 

Favorite Song: “Piece Of Heaven”

Least Favorite Song: “Not My World”

Favorite Lyrics: “Temptation, feels like it never ends/I’m sliding, powerless as I descend.” 

What themes or moods dominate this album, and how effectively are they conveyed through the music?

“Deadbeat’s” emotional themes to me express a feeling of frustration and bleakness, but also a sense of freedom. While I did not enjoy this album as much as previous work Tame Impala has put out, I felt his frustration at being put in a box as an artist while also empathizing with the depressive slump he expresses through his lyricism. However, through the bleakness it felt like a raw look into Parker’s mind which I thought he executed excellently. 

Name: Ria Skyer- Senior Writer

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

General Thoughts:

Kevin Parker, otherwise known as Tame Impala, knows how to create something of the moment and keep it evergreen. His signature sound broke through social media websites like Tumblr in the 2010s on records like “Currents”. In his attempt to mature that sound, Parker combines succinct production with vocals not strong enough to emphasize the music’s smooth texture.

The songwriting is focused in a manner where it is easily applicable to audiences and does not require much afterthought, making most tracks great to spread on social media platforms. As customary, Parker shines best as a producer on instrumental segments. 

Favorite Song: “Loser”

Least Favorite Song: “See You On Monday”

Favorite Lyric: “Talk is cheap, but the words cut deep.”

What themes or moods dominate this album, and how effectively are they conveyed through the music?

Independent of lyrics, Parker’s style of synth-heavy psychedelia creates an atmosphere that allows the listener to get lost in the music. This is his niche. It is otherwise hard to understand the depth behind his lyrics, though they seem to be based on self-reflection and overcoming his faults.

Name: Nick Rampe - Managing Editor

Overall Rating: 3/10

General Thoughts:

It’s hard to describe just how disappointing this album was. Parker’s classic 2015 album “Currents” is now a decade old, a fact that I found myself thinking about with nearly each passing second of this album. It lives in lethargy, like he didn’t have any desire to make more music but he realized that it had been five years since his last release so he churned out whatever he had laying around. The 55-minute runtime feels like an hour and a half, and the repetitiveness of each track makes them feel twice their length. It sounds like a collection of GarageBand loops strung together with borderline mumbling over the top for most of the project, and the lyrics don’t do it any favors either. Tame Impala was ahead of the curve 10 years ago, but from that apex he rolled backwards.

Favorite Song: “Dracula”

Least Favorite Song: “Ethereal Connection”

Favorite Lyric: “You’re a cinephile, I watch ‘Family Guy.’”

What themes or moods dominate this album, and how effectively are they conveyed through the music?

I can’t imagine this was the intent, but the main emotion I felt was apathy. It did not feel like a lot of effort or care was put into this project, and in return I found myself struggling to give it any of my own. It’s a shame that each of Tame Impala’s last two albums felt substantially less ambitious than their predecessors.

Name: CJ Johnson - Vision Writer

Overall Rating: 4/10

General Thoughts: 

“Deadbeat” feels rushed and half-baked to me. “My Old Ways” and “Piece of Heaven” are the standouts, capturing the nostalgic themes of the album. Many of the songs, such as “No Reply” blend together, sounding similar to Glass Animals songs or like other beats I’ve heard before.

Favorite Song: “Piece of Heaven”

Least Favorite Song: 

Favorite Lyric: “Feels like it came out of nowhere this time/Wish I had someone else to blame, well I tell myself I’m only human.”

What themes or moods dominate this album, and how effectively are they conveyed through the music?

I believe Kevin Parker was attempting to convey nostalgia and reflection in “Deadbeat” however the overly simple production causes the prominent mood to convey laziness. The album is less than an hour long, but the extended tracks, repetitive lyrics and mumbling vocals make it feel significantly longer.