With the September release of Era Extraña, Neon Indian translates the 20° winters of Finland into a cool-colored, dreamy album. The band’s sophomore effort, produced by Mom + Pop Records, takes the hot and sticky summer sounds of Psychic Chasms and adds intricate and thoughtful synth patterns, resulting in a more mature and meaningful sound.
Era Extraña appeals to fans of chillwave as well as listeners who’ve never heard of it. “Polish Girl” is an upbeat, danceable single with a singalong chorus, something which is either inconspicuous or absent in the album’s other tracks. Alan Palomo, the band’s young composer, often lets his beats and instrumental arrangements do the talking. The record launches with “Heart: Attack,” a scratchy climb into an explosion of sound, which is just a taste of the band’s newly mastered synthesizing techniques. The title song, “Era Extraña,” acts as the album’s heartbeat, with an outstanding bass line layered under an intentional cacophony of synth patterns. Its powerful riffs are a lot angrier than anything on the band’s first CD, demonstrating Neon Indian’s growth out of a younger sound in their formative electro-pop years.
While Era Extraña isn’t nearly as bubbly as the band’s debut album, it still has a catchy vibe, even with its heavily instrumental focus. Neon Indian is clearly becoming more seasoned in their sound. But for those dying for a duet with Palomo, concertgoers can still rock out to the old school electro-pop “Arcade Blues,” proving that Neon Indian will always remain true to their original voice.
Neon Indian is currently on tour with Purity Ring and Com Truise. They will be performing at Thursday, October 20th, at Brighton Music Hall in Allston.
