tame impala: deadbeat tour and B-sides

I just got tickets to Tame Impala’s Deadbeat tour and now have entered a listening spiral, so I wanted to dive into some of their music. I have been listening to Tame since my freshman year of high school and was lucky enough to see them at a festival in 2016 for their Currents tour, which was an experience I could only describe as magical. 

(Pictures from right to left: Deadbeat cover, Orchid ORC-300, and Currents cover; Sources: Pitchfork and Resell Calendar)

The band has carved out their space in music from the start, and I think they are such a good example of how an artist can evolve through their career while still staying true to their style and fan base. One thing I truly appreciate in their music is the ability to seamlessly blend electronic and acoustic sounds. The band merges traditional instruments like piano, guitar, and drums, with niche synthesizers like the Orchid ORC-300 that Kevin Parker created himself. This mix of sounds comes together to make such a unique blend that you really can’t find anywhere else. 

One of my FAVORITES that I recently discovered is their song “List of People (To Try And Forget About)”. This song is from their Currents B-Sides & Remixes release, which came out in 2017. Don’t know how I missed this release then, but it ended up for the best because now I have 3 new songs and 2 remixes from one of my all-time favorite albums. 

In true Tame Impala style, the song features synthesizers, warped guitar, bass, and vocals with plenty of reverb. The start of the song sets the tone with a dramatic bass that sucks you right in. When I hear the first 20 seconds of it, I feel transported to a movie scene where something just went wrong. I envision a main character having a door closed in his face and while he walks down the street this song begins to play. 

At that 20 second mark, the vocals come in. As the intro goes, “Now I gotta add you to my list of people to try and forget about / Now I gotta add yours to my list of faces to try and not think about”. The airy vocals and upbeat drumline provide a lightheartedness to the track that pairs beautifully with the all too relatable feeling of starting from scratch. Signifying a relationship coming to an end and being forced to move forward. 

I love the contradiction of trying to forget someone by adding them to a list to not think about. As if it's an intrusive thought you have to remind yourself to avoid. But, by creating this so-called list you are actually just solidifying their memory and making it harder for yourself. The delivery of the lyrics are so casual, just as you might play off after a break-up. Trying to display that all is well and you’re already over it when, in reality, the memory is inescapable. 

I think the song's irony is also captured in the line, “And I don’t wanna spend all my days thinking of the one I can’t live without”. In this line, he’s admitting he does not want to think about this past, while still regarding the person as one he cannot live without. Such a great display of how complicated nostalgia can be. 

A little over half-way through the song, there is this beep that comes out of nowhere. He’s midway through the lyric, “Try and for-”, when the beep plays. As if he recognizes a thought creeping in and has to shut it out. I love this for two reasons. One, I haven’t heard a sound used like this in any other song. And, two, I feel like I need this sound in my head. I imagine the beep being used like how you might use a spray bottle to train a dog. Every time the dog gets on the couch, spray bottle. Every time you think of that person you should not think about, beep. Not sure if that resonates with anyone, but personally I think it’d be a useful feature. 

If you’re a true Tame fan, you’ve probably heard this song, but if you haven’t it’s definitely worth a listen. And I’ll end it on the question that’s begging to be asked… Who's on your list of people to try and forget about?