Kevin Parker’s one-man act, Tame Impala, released a new album, “Deadbeat,” on Oct. 17. It marks a sudden departure from the psychedelic genre that skyrocketed the indie artist’s career, leaving it behind for a techno-house vibe that, so far, has not resonated well with fans — myself included.

Tame Impala seemed decisive in its choice to move away from its older sound with their leading single, “End of Summer,” released in August. Tame Impala’s groovy and addicting basslines were replaced with heavy drum kits and distorted synths that place the listener in a Berlin warehouse techno-club. This leading single set the expectations for a modern, grungy house music album, an expectation that’s supported by songs like “Ethereal Connection,” which feels like a rave set in a damp, musty, abandoned sewer system. Yet other songs on the album such as “Dracula” or “Obsolete” with signature Tame Impala basslines could reasonably fit in its other albums, “Borderline” or “Currents.” Every song is followed by such wildly different feelings and genres that the album gives me vertigo.

This is where my main gripe with “Deadbeat” lies: What genre is it? While songs like “Dracula” and “Loser” (by far my two favorite songs on the album) stick closer to the older Tame Impala feel with solid, danceable tracks and vocals, any hopes that this vibe will carry on throughout the album are dashed by “Oblivion,” which is similar to “No Reply” and “Ethereal Connection” in their house music-like minimalism and reverb.

While Tame Impala is one of my favorite artists, I am unfortunately disappointed with his new album. Unlike other fans, my disappointment doesn’t lie with the new direction but with the album’s indecisiveness. Tame Impala’s most famous album, “Currents,” also followed a different direction from its older, more psychedelic albums, so I know that Tame Impala is capable of breaking into new genres with the enthusiasm and decisiveness that “Deadbeat” is missing.

While I’m disappointed with “Deadbeat,” I’m curious and excited to see what Tame Impala has in store. Though Tame Impala typically releases a new album every five years, Kevin Parker has been doing pop-up DJ sets all over the country leading up to and following “Deadbeat,” so we’ll be able to watch as he experiments with this new genre until the next album, which I hope will be much more concrete in its tone.

I encourage fans of Tame Impala to keep an open mind about the album. To draw a parallel to another one of my favorite artists, Daft Punk, I predict that Tame Impala’s new album will turn out much like Daft Punk’s “Human After All” album. “Human After All,” like “Deadbeat,” was a sudden departure from the group’s previous album, featuring similar vibes to “Deadbeat” with harsh, minimalist tracks that alienated fans. However, after going on tour with it in the massively successful “Alive 2007” tour, critics and fans reexamined the album, and it’s now recognized as a trailblazing album that brought new sounds to the house genre, something that Tame Impala just might be able to pull off with “Deadbeat.”

With this in mind, I encourage fans to support Tame Impala in this venture and trust in the genius who created some of the most critically acclaimed albums of all time. However, I would currently rate this album an unfortunate two out of five stars.