It’s not dance music, it’s drug music, and it’s made by a kid who was raised on video games.
Conceived in the wake of a cancelled acid trip, Neon Indian is the latest project from Adam Palomo, the 21-year-old Texan behind synth-pop act VEGA. Palomo calls Neon Indian VEGA’s “evil twin,” but with Muzak melodies, fat, warbling synth lines, and the occasional laser sound effect, Neon Indian is more like VEGA’s weird ’shroom-dealing brother. The lazily delivered vocals and New Order beats beg a too-obvious MGMT comparison, but the lo-fi recording quality and non-linear song structures set the album apart. Psychic Chasms would be the perfect soundtrack for your next psychedelic bender, but chemical enhancement would only be icing on Neon Indian’s already-colorful cake. Full of familiar ’80s sounds paired unexpectedly, the album builds a comforting mood suitable for any groovy gathering of the “Terminally Chill,” which is, naturally, the tongue-in-cheek title of track three.
