Psychic Chasms

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Based on advance buzz from blogs, Neon Indian went from being an obscure Austin, TX duo to one of 2009痴 most hotly tipped bands. Their debut Psychic Chasms actually lived up to the hype, which was no mean feat, especially because the band痴 sound could be described as an improbable, hazy swirl of Daft Punk, My Bloody Valentine, and a vintage game console. Neon Indian痴 watercolor electronic indie pop -- which blurs disco, electro, dream and synth pop together effortlessly -- is mostly the product of one Indian, Alan Palomo (the band痴 other half, Alicia Scardetta, provides visuals for his lush sonics). Despite, or perhaps because of, the obsessive layers of sound in these songs, Psychic Chasms has a decidedly homespun vibe, and Palomo痴 voice often feels downright frail, almost drowned out by its dense surroundings. The songs that appeared before the album痴 release remain its euphoric highlights: 鉄hould致e Taken Acid with You� is as melancholic as it is psychedelic, filled with regret and swirling, streaking synths, and 典erminally Chill� is an inspired collage of soft rock and synth pop, with noodly keyboards and guitars that become one. Best of all is 泥eadbeat Summer,� which samples Todd Rundgren痴 的zzat Love� and expands on that song痴 breathy bounce with clouds of harmonies and keyboard filigrees that are barely pinned down by fuzz bass and clever rhymes like 殿byss・and 途eminisce.・Rundgren痴 studio wizardry and vulnerability echo elsewhere on Psychic Chasms, especially on the album痴 moodier second half. The superficially cheery 鏑ocal Joke� has the feeling of being laughed at, not with; ・669 (I Don稚 Know If You Know)� wraps itself in woozy heartache; and even the album痴 most overtly danceable track, 摘phemeral Artery,� has a dark edge underneath its kinetic beat. Even if the sheer amount of sounds Palomo crams into Neon Indian痴 music is occasionally overwhelming, Psychic Chasms is a distinctive, adventurous, and heartfelt debut. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi