Neon Indian - Slumlord

If it was ever in Alan Palomo’s mind to ditch the synth and travel as far away as possible from ‘chillwave’ beginnings, it looks like his instincts took over. From ‘Annie’ and new song ‘Slumlord’, Neon Indian has dived headfirst into the chaotic chasm of synthetics, combining three decades’ worth of shiny aesthetic into a walking, talking boombox of gleamy noise. Palomo says he sees his music as inhabiting a “Night School” space, like a new acquaintance teaching complex dance moves in the club.

‘Slumlord’ takes your hand with every step of the ride, but it’s a wild and unpredictable one at that. A boogie-down customer and supremely fly specimen, it’s makes hard effort look cool, all of a sudden. If there was ever the perfect formula to advancing a sound that Neon Indian could easily get bogged down in, this was it.