Era Extrana - Neon Indian
Era Extrana Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 27 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 27 Ratings

  • Band members: Alan Palomo
  • Summary: The chillwave band from Texas returns with another album of experimental pop, recorded during a long Helsinki winter.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 23 out of 27
  2. Negative: 0 out of 27
  1. Nov 8, 2011
    80
    This follow up to Psychic Chasms displays similarly exhilarating aural ambitions. [Nov. 2011, p. 139]
  2. Dec 22, 2011
    80
    It's a dream, this pop. [Nov 2011, p.100]
  3. Nov 3, 2011
    80
    Era Extrana radiates with enough passion to make life more than a little woozy. [Oct 2011, p.105]
  4. Oct 18, 2011
    60
    A three-part instrumental piece, named "Heart: Attach," brings a pleasant filmic quality to an album that elsewhere trades a little too heavily on nostalgia. [Nov 2011, p.94]

See all 27 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. This album pushes Neon Indian's sound forward in a good direction. It continues to explore dreamy psychedelic electric textures, but the production has been upped a bit and the songs are more emotional. They continue to infuse amazing interludes into a coherent album as they did on Psychic Chasms, but it is so much more fluid and engaging here. I listened to Psychic Chasms a lot, but this is just a huge step beyond that. Highlights to me are "Era Extrana" and "Future Sick", but the entire album is really top notch space pop in my opinion. Darker, more developed, and more enjoyable. I think Neon Indian aced it with this album. Expand
  2. Whereas Psychic Chasms played on the more summer ridden, upbeat agenda, Era Extrana carries a sound that plays with cloudier tones. Its also a louder record at moments, displaying moments of energetic arena rock and noisy guitar riffs. The love of video games is still present and a welcoming flirtation with a bit of a dancier tone, particularly with "Polish Girl" and "Suns Irrupt." This is a wonderful follow-up that shows creative determination to make interesting music. Expand
  3. 8
    It's a little odd for me how this album sounded muck alike MGMT's Oracular Spectacular. Despite that, it is a powerful continuation to the excellent "Psychic Chasms", but, in a second listening, the songs sound the same, like if they little pieces of a huge story. Can't wait for their third album. Expand
  4. Being entirely honest, Era Extraña is a bit of a letdown and clearly recessive. Been waiting for it all summer, my curiosity fed by Polish Girl and Fallout, which at the end of the day come out as the best tracks, yet the entire thing is way more cohesive than Psychic Chasms. Expand

See all 7 User Reviews