Neither chill nor wave, VEGA INTL. Night School is a vibrant, glitchy, hook-laden celebration of nightlife.
Night School doesn’t go down like a third album. It goes down like a reimagined debut, because it introduces a newly carefree, naturally focused Neon Indian. And as third albums go, that’s just about the best mentality you can employ.
With its unfurled imaginativeness, Vega INTL. Night School is unimaginatively the album you would expect from Neon Indian by now - one that comfortably and sublimely manages to work inside and outside of the expectations set by their previous work.
In its own way, Vega Intl. Night School is just as immersive as Neon Indian's previous work and even more impressionistic, with a flamboyance that makes it a captivating standout within his own work as well as his contemporaries'.
The production values are higher, and there’s even more of Palomo's queasy pitch-shifting, 16-bit synths, and disembodied samples—more of everything. Palomo might have seemed like someone stumbling onto a recipe with Psychic Chasms, but now it's clear that this is Palomo’s foundational music, his blues or funk.
As with every Neon Indian album, VEGA INTL Night School can feel chaotic, effusive, even overwhelming at times. But, much like the proverbial “bright lights” of the city which provide the inspiration for this LP, it's dazzling, too.
Not one sound is out of place, not one track over or under stays its welcome. Every element that made Neon Indian such a joy through the first two albums has been polished and improved upon to make a record that truly must be heard.
VEGA INTL. Night School is, for the most part, a more accessible and fascinating record than any of Paloma's output to date. Turns out a little more funk may not necessarily be a bad thing.
Palomo has managed to group everything that catches his eye under one disco ball-laden roof, but Night School rarely feels overstuffed. It stays playful and casual, and its stakes often feel low as a result.
Virtually everything on VEGA INTL. sounds more enhanced.
Those seeking the mellower vibes of his earlier work may be slightly less enamoured with VEGA INTL. Night School, it’s undeniably a record that’s confident, intelligent and above all, fun.
The results are alluring warped ... but this groovy nostalgia is now a well-trodden path.
[Genre: Chillwave]
Bro, like I'm so aesthetic bro, I like vaporwave and 80's music, people don't get me cause I'm just that quirky and aesthetic bro
This album is really damn good. VEGA INTL. Night School is an extremely fun and solid synthpop/chillwave album that never fails to be fun throughout. The production is straight up funky and incredible, and the vocals are really smooth and add a lot to the 80's type sound this album shoots for. Weirdly enough, with the 80's type sound it still ... read more
The production here is stellar, packed with funky, quirky, and elegant beats. His voice is only ok, but it compliments the vibe of this album nicely.
If you dig the aesthetic of this album (the cover tells it all) its a solid record with no major flaws. The 80s latin disco grooves on here fit perfectly with Neon Indian's production styles on previous records. The album flows nicely and is built around the two fantastic singles. A little lull towards the end before the great closing track News From the Sun, but even tracks like Techno Clique, Baby's Eyes and 61 Cygni Ave have their moments. Street Level is my least favorite from the strong ... read more
Catchy, funky, groovy, retro, futuristic. Amazing wonky synths. Neon Indian does a fantastic job at transporting me to a night out.
1 | Hit Parade 1:05 | 71 |
2 | Annie 4:02 | 86 |
3 | Street Level 4:01 | 82 |
4 | Smut! 3:27 | 81 |
5 | Bozo 1:23 | 75 |
6 | The Glitzy Hive 3:51 | 79 |
7 | Dear Skorpio Magazine 3:56 | 82 |
8 | Slumlord 5:15 | 94 |
9 | Slumlord's Re-lease 2:25 | 87 |
10 | Techno Clique 4:32 | 76 |
11 | Baby's Eyes 6:26 | 77 |
12 | C'est la vie (Say the Casualties!) 3:03 | 80 |
13 | 61 Cygni Ave 4:04 | 79 |
14 | News From the Sun (Live Bootleg) 3:53 | 81 |
#10 | / | The 405 |
#15 | / | Pretty Much Amazing |
#17 | / | Variance |
#20 | / | Under the Radar |
#35 | / | Gorilla vs. Bear |
#35 | / | Pitchfork |
#44 | / | Complex |
#47 | / | The Needle Drop |
#49 | / | No Ripcord |
/ | The Line of Best Fit |