Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (2009)

There's honestly too much to say about this classic. I accidentally discovered one of the songs on this album on youtube a little after the album dropped & instantly fell in love. Since then, it has become one of my favorite albums of all time. Like, I remember constantly listening to it all the time throughout the last 2 years of high school (along with Toro Y Moi). It's also one of the very few albums where I thouroughly enjoy every song on there. Alright, enough history. On to the album. This is a huge homage to the synth heavy/psychadelic sounds of the 80's. Alan Palomo (Neon Indian) himself has even said that he has always felt trapped in that era. That being said, it's mainly an electronic sounding album, but its pretty mellow at the same time. Or one can say, chill. That's why it was lumped into a genre known as CHILLWAVE haha. Vocals are dreamy/lazy/hazy/filtered and just have some sort of calming effect on you. Lyrics cover a lot of topics like a missed acid date, being bored & lazy, anxiety/uncertainty, & just CHILLING. Even the warped-out analog synths CHILL you out. Samples are pretty prevalent on this record too. You got everything from italo disco to 70's art rock in this gem. He even sampled one of his dad's songs. (His dad, Jorge Palomo, was a sorta famous pop musician in Mexico.) Long story short, this album is fanfuckingtastic from start to finish. It's perfect for long drives on hot summer days or times when you wanna spark a little somethin somethin.
*I used to have the release with the alternate cover & remixes, but I let one of my exes borrow it & I never got it back (Yana, I'm looking at you...).
**Theres a little paragraph he wrote in the liner notes and one line has always stuck with me. It said, "And with much finality, thank you to the women who've broken my heart, I couldn't have done this without you." Looks like heartbreak can be useful after all haha.

Standout Tracks: Deadbeat Summer, Terminally Chill, Should Have Taken Acid With You, Psychic Chasms, THE WHOLE FUCKING ALBUM

Sounds Like: Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, Animal Collective