Era Extraña
Album | Neon Indian
Texas chillwaver solidifies his pop roots.
Denton, Texas' own Alan Palomo returns with his second album as Neon Indian, an impressive step up from 2009's Psychic Chasms. Where that album's tactile atmosphere was intoxicating -- the standout track was called "Terminally Chill" for good reason -- several of the songs felt a little unstructured. Palomo makes no such mistakes on Era Extraña (rough translation: "this was weird"), which features a much more instantly accessible and melodically strong set of tunes. Recording in Helsinki, Finland, of all places, Palomo solidifies the vintage synth-pop side of his musical personalities: first single "Polish Girl" features a nagging keyboard hook that makes it quite possibly the most addictive single of 2011. The rest of the album is perhaps a bit more subtle in its charms, but songs like "Hex Girlfriend," "Future Sick" and "Suns Irrupt" all feature memorable choruses and inventive hooks underneath the layers of gauzy sonic fuzz that decorate the tunes. If more of the artists tagged with the chillwave label release albums this much fun to listen to, people will start being less embarrassed about using the term.
| Polish Girl | |
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