“Psychic Chasms” Neon Indian Album Review

Neon Indian is Alan Palomo. And his newest LP Psychic Chasms is a wondrous concoction of synth-beat, laid back, retro 80’s summer bliss. Psychic Chasms may be the album that allows us to achieve a year round summer (or at least an excuse to). With intertwining bloops and twangy chimes finding their way into multiple tracks you can’t help but find yourself really falling into the music, completely entranced by its simple and catchy rhythms. Fans of Memory Tapes, Washed Out or Fuck Buttons will thoroughly enjoy the artistic interpretation of Palomo on Psychic Chasms. Even if you feel you’ve been sucked through time and have been placed in a roller rink outside of Nowhere circa 1983…you’ll be happy for 2 things: 1. the music is groovy   2. you’re not wearing leg warmers.

With a quick intro track entitled “AM” the album gets you ready to experience a mass conglomeration of synth-electro-cassette-oriented-hazy tracks. Quickly following is one of my favorites entitled “Deadbeat Summer”. I try not to let the oh-so prevalent “ooohh’s” and “ahhhh’s” of many a song’s hooks or choruses get to me but “Deadbeat Summer” holds one of the most enticing back beat and vocal “ahhhh”-ing to grace my ears in some time. Not to mention I can’t go a single day without it popping up in my head and leading to awkward situation in the library (I guess I’m a loud hummer?) This 4-minute track will remind you of how “deadbeat” your summer truly was for not listening to this while playing bocce ball in your local golf course’s fairway. Tracks like “Laughing Gas”, “(If I knew, I’d Tell You)”, and “7000 (Reprise)” provide short, mostly sub-minute fills for the album but leave you craving for more. Another highlight is “Should Have Taken Acid With You” which was written in about 20 minutes after Palomo had to cancell his plans one evening to help produce a track for a friend. This led Palomo to a decision that likely held quite the hand in determining Psychic Chasms. The decision was that each song that would be the record could not take more than a day to write. And so began the epic, awe-inspiring creation of one of the best albums of this year.

Every single track on this album is a gem, a piece of the past wrapped up in so many 8-bit samples and new school lo-fi funk that you’ll make a a point to listen to it, to really listen and find the serenity in laying on a lawn chair outside with your coppertone within reach…and Psychic Chasms in your boom-box.