Tame Impala, often misunderstood as a band, is actually the music project created by Australian singer and instrumentalist Kevin Parker. In fact, Parker writes, records, and produces all of the music in the studio, while musicians such as Dominic Simper, Jay Watson, and Cam Avery join him as touring members. On October 17, 2025, Tame Impala released its fifth studio album, titled Deadbeat.
Tame Impala first rose to prominence with the release of its 2015 album Currents, which featured popular songs such as “The Less I Know The Better,” which has garnered more than two billion streams on Spotify, and “Let It Happen,” which has almost 800 million streams.
Typically, Tame Impala’s music blends psychedelic rock, synth-pop, R&B, and electronic music. In Deadbeat, Parker chose to continue exploring its electronic and synth styles, while also introducing a modern house drum beat mix. Throughout the album, he produces a diverse range of distinct sounds, including glitchy synths and elongated vocals, with a lyrical focus on themes of insecurity, awkwardness, and rejection.
My personal favorites include “Not My World,” “Piece of Heaven,” “Obsolete,” “Afterthought,” and “Oblivion.” “Piece of Heaven” is particularly well-produced, with its choppy yet gentle synths and a soft piano ending. I was pleasantly surprised when listening to “Not My World,” which turned out to be mostly instrumental, but is a musical masterpiece. “End of Summer” is another highlight, featuring a house-like kick drum and electronic synths in the second half that evoked Stranger Things vibes. On the other hand, while also very well-produced, some tracks were less memorable, such as “No Reply” and “Loser.” If I had one thing to critique, it would be that a few lyrics felt shallow or repetitive at times.
Overall, I really enjoyed Deadbeat’s calm, introspective atmosphere, and would definitely recommend giving it a listen. While it may not be Tame Impala’s best work, its production quality is a huge success, and Parker’s instrumental creativity stands out. If I had to give a rating, I would give it a 7/10; however, this rating may rise as some songs grow on me over time.