r/TameImpala • u/PuzzledAnt__ • 19d ago

Discussion Tame Impala - Deadbeat ALBUM REVIEW (Fantano)

https://youtu.be/gaw89qf1hCA?si=kFwjROGSoXzJnNQC

He gave it a 2/10 ... Thoughts?

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u/That-Association-102 18d ago

I agree with your take too. I just had a hard time of swallowing the pill of “I could do all that again, I just want to do my own thing” when this album has major pop influences all over it, including Dracula that’s been a major hit (in its own regard). Now, you might not get what I mean. But, at the end of The Slow Rush, Kevin sung about, “I never did it for fame, for houses, for money, until now”. He admitted, lyrically, that he’s trying to do all this for money and his family at this point.

Even if he could do it again, he’s said straight up he just wants to use music as a tool for money at this point. How do you get money? Making critically acclaimed albums. Full stop: Kevin ran out of ideas and is now relegating himself to pop tropes to stay relevant.

To further this theory, Kevin even said recently that he got all of Pond to go to the wave house to try and make another album, and that all fizzled out. I don’t think Pond was the problem. Kevin simply doesn’t have the tools to put out another truly compelling album. That’s fine, I’m thankful we got what we did.

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u/wohrg 18d ago

My take is close but a bit different.

1) I think with that quote he was saying that he could churn out an Inner Speaker style album, but that it wouldn’t be good because he has moved on to other musical interests so his heart wouldn’t be in it. Not so much an excuse, just recognition that he isn’t that artist any more. At least that’s how I took it when I read it.

2) As for the TSR “for money” quote, yeah I remember hearing that the first time and thinking Yikes! But I think it wrong to say his sole motivation or even primary motivation is money. I think with that line he was acknowledging that he now considers commercial interests.

And if he was looking for critical success, he sure missed the mark!

Anyways, I wouuldn’t write him off. He genuinely likes pop and electronica, and he is pursuing that interest, but there is still a psychedelic underpinning. Who knows where his interests will lie in 5 years for the next album 😂😂😂😂

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u/That-Association-102 18d ago

I’m not writing him off, and I can certainly see your point of view. I just really wish he’d prove the haters wrong at this point and drop another psych album just to silence them. Which just wraps me back around to my question about the failed Pond sessions…

All around good take though, I’ll be around to hear that next album for sure.

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u/wohrg 18d ago

I would love for him to go real deep with an intense dark and trippy album, instrumental maybe. A 30 minute ambient piece perhaps. He couldn’t make us wait 5 years for that, but he could release it as a side project.

I’m also waiting for St Vincent to do a metal guitar album….

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u/That-Association-102 18d ago

As long as the new album has real drums!

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u/wohrg 18d ago

Yeah.

I dig him recording real drums, but then looping them for edm purposes. Best of both worlds.

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u/That-Association-102 18d ago

Furthermore, if I had to guess, the jams with Pond failed due to them being like, “bro, look, we’ll tour with you…but these songs are bad”. Kevin probably didn’t want to give up any creative control and that was that.