Neon Indian: Psychic Chasms

Showing some Texas love.

Despite sounding like a full-on band, Neon Indian is just Alan Palomo. Alan wrote, produced, as well as recorded Psychic Chasms while at home in Denton, TX. This album was released on Lefse Records in October of 2009.

Psychic Chasms is Palomos first release as Neon Indian. It is reminiscent of hot summers days evoking feelings of childhood nostalgia set to a hazy 80’s backdrop. Musically this album borrows heavily from the 80’s-pop
music handbook. It has Roland synths, Casio keyboards, and vintage drum machines that thump along. The vocals are heavily treated, reminiscent of MGMT as well as Animal Collective. It is all set to a production that recalls a washed out Polaroid picture, or the sound of a sun-warped cassette tape left out on the dashboard. Remember those?

Track 2 “Deadbeat Summer” comes directly after the short intro with Track 1 “(AM).” We find ourselves waking up just before Noon on a lazy summers day spent lounging at the pool, dropping acid in the woods, and cruising with our friends. These are the mid 80’s when Hall and Oates ruled the charts. “Deadbeat Summer” perfectly summons feelings of those carefree summer days.

Track 5 “if I know, I’d tell you” is heavy with a flanged-out synth hook, an arpeggiated-synth bass line coupled with programmed beats lifted directly from Hall and Oates album H20. Lyrically Psychic Chasms is ripe with mid 80’s nostalgia. We are left to remember the days working minimum wage jobs; playing Atari, watching John Hughes flicks,
decked out in florescent Wayfars and Day-Glo attire. We are presented with feelings of alienation throughout Track 6 “6669 (I don’t know if you know)” with the repeated phrase “But You Wouldn’t Understand.” Palomo also references his subject within “6669” as an old soul, presumably a reference to those of us born out of time.

Regret, as well as missed opportunity surface again on Track 7 “Should Have Taken Acid With You.” SHTAWY is backed by bubbly synth lines that swirl around our heads, leaving us nodding along with the laid-back beat that punctuates the track. With the repeated chorus “Should Have Taken Acid with you-take our clothes of in the swimming pool,” we sense that Palomo is bummed out over a missed opportunity at love.

Lyrically Psychic Chasms is minimalistic. Each of the 12 tracks often repeat the same refrains; however Palomo is able to convey various emotions through sound. We, as listeners, are presented with a sound collage versus a lyrical canvas. Much like early childhood, when language is still a relatively new concept, our reactions as well as responses are based on emotions. Palomo understands this thus allowing us to respond through our emotions as opposed to intellect.

For those looking for a perfect summer album look no further. Neon Indian joins likes of MGMT and Animal Collective in reviving Psychedelia for the 21st century. However, they bring some new flavor to the table; a new unique production blanketed in a fuzzy fizz, as well as an album you can listen to from front to back. The only recent album that I can remember that evokes the same childhood whimsy, and nostalgia would be M83’s Saturdays=Youth.

So, if you can look past the Low-Fi hazy production that would be distracting to some, you will be rewarded with an album that reveals more and more personality with each listen.

My only complaint is at just under 30 minutes, the album is over, and like a carefree summers day, we are left longing for more.

June 7th, Neon Indian played live at Emo’s here in Austin, TX, and I was lucky enough to make the show. The beauty of weekday shows, especially on a Monday, is the mass abundance of parking downtown. Any local will tell you that this is not the case when the weekend comes around. So anyway, my girlfriend and I arrived quite early, and were greeted with a rather short ticket line.

Not a good sign for the Indian?

So we got in, and hung out, waiting for the first band Cry Blood Apache. CBA came on around 9:15ish, consisting of 3 guys and a drum machine. They proceeded to play some sort of Noise Rock, in which the guitarist appeared to have been jolted with electricity throughout the whole set, with a singer giving us his best Nick Cave impression. They played a half hour dedicated to wayward science experiments which left us standing with blank stares. The next band was Survive. Survive is 4 dudes rockin’ some Korg Synths. They proceed to play some ambient robot love for 30 minutes, taking us through a Warp records work-out down the Trans-Europe Express.

At 12pm Neon Indian hit the stage. Being that Neon Indian is primarily a one man show, I was curious to see how Palomo would pull this off live. Palomo was joined by 3 other band mates ( I am guessing his touring band) and proceeded to pummel us with heavy beats, screechy synths, and a light show that would not be out of place at a mid-60’s Pink Floyd show. Neon Indian played a 45 minute set, playing Psychic Chasms in its entirety.

About 15 minutes into the show Palomo stopped to send a shout-out to the recently departed Dennis Hopper, by quoting his un-mistakable line from Blue Velvet “Heineken, fuck that shit, gimme a Pabst Blue Ribbon.” What an awesome way to pay respect to the Hop Man. By this point the place was packed, and by the way the crowd was jumping up and down you would’ve thought Snoop Dog was in the house. The set was full of high energy, with the band occasionally pausing between songs, allowing Palomo to play frenzied synth interludes. The show lasted until 12:45pm, when we all emptied into the night. As we walked back to my car, looking at the quiet Austin skyline, I thought to myself a new regime has arrived. And it’s about fucking time.