Portland band
Reptaliens' 2017 debut album,
FM-2030, found its inspirations in a fascination with aliens, cults, and
Philip K. Dick sci-fi novels, but those themes were hard to make out beneath their waves of friendly, uber-chill indie pop. Sounding somewhere between the breathy isolation of
Broadcast and the chorus-doused lo-fi pop of
Mac DeMarco,
TOPS,
Crumb, or any other number of easygoing melodians,
Reptaliens' science fiction leanings were more apparent in their high-concept stage shows than on album. Second record
Valis tends more towards an internal world than extraterrestrial curiosity, but the band maintains their relaxed, vaporous sound. Vocalist/songwriter/guitarist
Bambi Browning commands the tunes with a soft but powerful delivery and the rest of the band fills out the arrangements with easy, drifting strums, sophisti-pop rhythms, and the occasional tasteful synth bleeping. The entire mix was run through a department-store karaoke machine, adding another layer of hazy dreaminess to the songs. Lyrics explore longing and devotion, with standouts like the synth-heavy "Shuggie II" and "Echo Park" offering hooks that are somewhat buried in the overarching sleepy vibe but peek out just enough to make the songs memorable. The tame tape-echo experimentation on "Song for Moon" hints at a more adventurous production approach but never pushes outside of
Reptaliens' comfort zone. The majority of
Valis is so uniform in tempo, energy level, and arrangement that it becomes more of an atmosphere than an engaging listening experience. While always pleasant and friendly, the band borders on sounding anonymous at times. In its best moments,
Valis perfects the band's warped melancholic guitar pop, but its weaker tracks blend together into one long, tepid breeze. ~ Fred Thomas
