VEGA INTL. Night School is the third album from Neon Indian, the brainchild of lead singer and frontman Alan Palomo. Neon Indian released their last album Era Extrana all the way back in 2011, however with this album the wait treated it well as it’s their most fully recognized album yet.

Since then, Neon Indian composed the song “Change of Coast” in 2013 which was featured in the award winning game Grand Theft Auto V with their 2011 hit single, “Polish Girl”, used in the next gen port of the same game. The album is a step in the right direction compared to their first two albums with a much more 80s inspired sounds, such as sounds of blaring synths with a funky vibe attached to them. The influences on the album include 80s funk, synthpop, disco, and new wave but they don’t go overboard in paying homage to them. The album is a lot more dance oriented with tracks such as “Annie” and “The Glitzy Hive” that make you want to get up and boogie, Palomo had a lot more fun while making the album and it shows. The vocals have improved since their last album with Palomo hitting his falsetto sharply on tracks such as “Dear Skorpio Magazine” and “The Glitzy Hive”.

Standout tracks on the album include “Annie”, features a more reggae-inspired groove with simple but catchy lyrics. The song is about trying to find a girl named Annie who has gone missing in the city. “Street Level” which infuses layer upon layer of synth with a wonky beat, including the use of provocative and quirky lyrics.  Another favorite is “The Glitzy Hive” which is a heavily disco influenced track with a deliciously infectious hook that makes it hard not to dance or sing along to.

“Slumlord” and “Slumlord Re-Release” stand out the most because they follow a more dark and ominous theme than the more upbeat tracks on the record. The song references back to the last days with heavy synth with a retro beat, a funky bassline and Palomo’s crisp vocals to back it up. The song sounds like something you would hear out of Tony Montana’s personal cassette tape.
All of the songs on the record have a certain mood or feeling attached to them which Palomo uses to convey the setting of the album. The scene is best imagined as a grimy nightclub out of an 80s neo-noir film where blood and glitter occupy the same street gutter.

Overall VEGA INTL. Night School is a solid album from Neon Indian because their sound has come to full fruition. If you’re a fan of Daft Punk, Ariel Pink, or Toro y Moi do yourself a favor and checkout this album as it’s a record not to be slept on.