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Tame Impala’s ‘Deadbeat’ Is the Most Disappointing Album I’ve Ever Listened To

Why Kevin Parker’s fifth studio album doesn’t meet the bar he’s set for himself

Ben Ulansey's avatar
Ben Ulansey
Nov 03, 2025
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Kevin Parker and his daughter on the album cover for Tame Impala’s “Deadbeat” / Columbia Records
Columbia Records

It might be easy to read the title of this piece and assume that disappointing means bad. But the truth is, I don’t think that Tame Impala has ever released a bad album. My assessment of Deadbeat has far more to do with my sky-high expectations for it than the actual quality of the finished product.

Drawing a parallel to the world of vide…

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