THE MUSTS

 Deadbeat by Tame Impala: Me and Tame Impala have been a slow burn for over two years now. I don’t naturally gravitate toward alternative or psychedelic sounds in my day-to-day listening, but every once in a while, one or two songs would catch my attention — and with each one, my curiosity grew a little more.

• My real entry point was discovering that Kevin Parker co-produced and co-wrote much of Dua Lipa’s Radical Optimism. That connection stayed in the back of my mind. And then, recently, while scrolling through a list of the best songs released this year, I found “End of the Summer” sitting comfortably in the top 20. It quickly became my December soundtrack — constantly playing between my LUX listens — and that’s when Deadbeat finally pulled me in.

Reactions to the album have been mixed. Many longtime fans say the songs “meet the mark” but never quite soar the way his past work did. And I get that. But maybe because I’m arriving without nostalgia or expectation — just dipping my toes in — I really enjoyed it. Deadbeat made me curious. It made me want to listen to more. And sometimes, that’s the most honest compliment you can give an album.

• Fans argue it’s one of Tame Impala’s least expansive records — still better than most pop releases, but a letdown by his own standards. Maybe. But I think we can give him a little credit. Not every album needs to reinvent the wheel; some are simply about refining a feeling.

There’s also a strong Michael Jackson–coded energy throughout the album, especially in its rhythmic instincts. Parker has said Deadbeat was influenced by Western Australia’s “bush doof” rave scene, which explains the constant pulse of four-on-the-floor beats. Tracks like “Ethereal Connection” lean fully into that — heavy, driving, immersive. You can feel his affinity for dance music in the writhing bass lines and the subtle, shifting electronic textures.

I loved the production on “Obsolete” but the closing track, “End of the Summer” is where everything clicked for me. It hits that enviable sweet spot between dancefloor euphoria and rain-soaked melancholy — until Parker introduces a slightly abrasive, sped-up vocal hook. Somehow, it works. And it stayed with me long after the flight landed.

Deadbeat might not be a revelation for die-hard fans. But for someone like me — arriving slowly, openly, without expectations — it felt like an invitation. One I’m very happy to accept. (Rating 7.5/10)

Best songs: End of Summer; Etherial Connection; Afterthought; My Old Ways; Obsolete

Hi friend,

I can’t believe another year is basically over. And yet, strangely, this one doesn’t feel like it flew by. Maybe it’s politics, maybe the economy, maybe the general state of the world — but it feels like, at some point this year, everyone lost their mind a little. Or maybe that’s just my impression. Either way, the year went on. As it always does.

What remains are the traces: what happened, the people we met, the trips we took, the relationships we built — and the ones we didn’t.

More than anything, this year taught me faith. The older I get, the more I find myself trusting the universe — trusting that things unfold the way they should, and that no good deed goes unnoticed. 2025 wasn’t an easy year for me, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a good one. I grew. I achieved things I had been hoping for. It was an early grower — it started rough, slowly softened, and somehow ended on an amazingly high note: closing a beautiful chapter in fever, an unforgettable trip to Brazil, a new job, and now spending the holidays visiting one of my best friends in London. Not bad for a “hard” year.

• Interestingly, many friends told me 2025 was an amazing year for them. And I loved hearing that. It reminded me that time doesn’t move the same way for everyone — thank goodness.

I don’t know yet if I’ll make a formal list of goals for the year ahead. But I do know this: I’ll keep doing my best, like we always do. And life, somehow, will keep meeting us halfway — like it always does.

I also want to say: Merry Christmas. I hope you had a beautiful night yesterday. Mine was special — it was the first Christmas in three years that I didn’t spend alone, and that meant more than I expected. Today, I’m celebrating with one of the most important people in my life — a friend I wrote about exactly one year ago when he received an offer to move to London. And now, here we are, celebrating the holidays together at his new home.

Life really is wonderful sometimes.

Happy New Year.
With love,
M.

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