Neon Indian
VEGA INTL. Night School
MOM + POP
6/10
Since 2009, Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo has consistently developed intricate layers of lush melodies worthy of deep listening. He’s also got a long resume filled with catchy hooks that are perfect for throwing onto a backyard barbeque playlist. With his third album, VEGA INTL. Night School, Palomo blends both worlds by grabbing any interesting organic sound he can find—like running water or static—and infusing it with funky, old-school Casio synths. Short instrumentals like opener “Hit Parade” and “Bozo” pack an atmospheric aural experience with sound bytes of television channels changing and radio transmissions. At times, the mix of textures can feel overwhelming, but when album highlight “Techno Clique” comes along, he slows the tempo and allows the listener to relax with the music. Palomo expands on his lo-fi chillwave and experiments to give it a new spin through VEGA INTL. Night School. It’s not a pristine composition, but being rough around the edges allows for a new discovery with every listen. Slightly chaotic and with plenty of character, these songs don’t get dull.
