Tame Impala has been slowly releasing singles in anticipation of his upcoming full-length studio album: “Deadbeat.”
The latest track we have been graced with is called “Loser.”
When I think of Tame Impala’s defining characteristics, I think of funky psychedelic synths.
“Loser” almost gives you the ethereal sensation of floating through a dream.
When I listened to this track for the first time, I noticed straight off the bat that the song’s beat was different from his usual sound.
Instead of that usual dreamscape vibe, I’m hit with a heavy riff that serves as the song’s core melody.
As opposed to the usual synth-heavy beats, the riff leaves me feeling more heavily grounded in reality.
That’s not to say that there are no electronic elements, as keyboard and synth sounds are featured throughout the song.
However, instead of serving as the focal point of the song’s melody like usual, it serves to supplement the riff as the main beat.
While it may seem like a strange choice at first, I think it makes more sense as a way to convey the song’s themes.
The lyrics tell the story of someone who had a fight with their significant other, which has put a lot of strain on their relationship.
Rather than focusing on the fight itself, it deals more with the aftermath and all the feelings that come with that.
They feel like it’s too late to fix the mess that they have made, and now they just have to sit in that discomfort.
The song’s grounded feel helps the listener better place themselves in the position of the narrator. Nothing’s worse than making a mistake and having to just live with it.
Throughout the entire song, the narrator laments their mistake and describes feeling like a loser. Just as the narrator’s thoughts are dominated by the same self-deprecating thought, the same riff repeats over and over.
The droning guitar riff helps to cement the feeling of being stuck in a rut.
As for my thoughts on the song as a whole, I think it’s decent. While the song’s melody is funky, I think the repetition hurts the flow of the song.
What I mean by that is the song feels like it lacks a sense of escalation.
The best way I could describe it is that by the time the song was over, it left me wanting more.
If I were to give it a rating, I would give it a 6/10.
While I’m not super enthusiastic about this single, I am curious about the tone that this song is setting for the rest of the album.
