You knew it was coming: Alan Palomo, the artist formerly known as Neon Indian, has announced his first album under his birth name. A month ago Palomo returned with the Mac DeMarco collab “Nudista Mundial ’89,” portending the end of a long layoff between releases. Today he’s confirmed the release of an LP called World Of Hassle this September and shared its next single, “Stay-At-Home DJ.”

World Of Hassle is a globe-trotting concept album set in a surreal alternate universe, defined by some of the same chintzy ’80s nostalgia that informed Neon Indian, yet distinctly playful and chipper based on the sound of these early singles. According to Palomo, the jazzy, funky, woozily catchy “Stay-At-Home DJ” was the project’s genesis:

This is the song that started the whole conversation. My brother and I wrote it back in 2019 and performed it on the last Neon Indian tour. It signaled a change in direction I’d been looking for but had yet to really know what to do with. When things slowed down during the pandemic I dusted it off and from its uncontrollable outgrowth came World Of Hassle.

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about/ She’s never listened to Prefab Sprout” — that’s just excellent. Listen below.

TRACKLIST:
01 “The Wailing Mall”
02 “Meutrière” (Feat. Flore Benguigui)
03 “La Madrileña”
04 “Nudista Mundial ’89” (Feat. Mac DeMarco)
05 “The Return of Mickey Milan”
06 “Stay-At-Home DJ”
07 “Club People”
08 “Alibi For Petra”
09 “Nobody’s Woman”
10 “Is There Nightlife After Death?”
11 “Big Night Of Heartache”
12 “The Island Years”
13 “Trouble In Mind”

World Of Hassle is out 9/15 on Mom+Pop.