Denver synth-pop resident Neoma brings her Ecuadorian influences to the Front Range with her new album Hyperreal. Her definitive style brings a welcome slice of musical diversity to Denver’s predominantly americana/rock scene.
Hyperreal is overflowing with fun and groove-driven music, infused with disco, latin-pop, and 80s-glam. The album starts off with “Condena” and “FIXXIÓN,” featuring strong lo-fi vibes and moody pop that partners well with the third track, the melancholy club song “Feel Nothing.” The dark pop mixed in with her clean and youthful vocal quality pulls her in the direction of Melanie Martinez.
Since her arrival to Denver in 2018, she has featured more English lyrics, but she remains grounded in her native language, with half of the album written in Spanish. It doesn’t feature any obvious grooves that point directly to latin-pop subgenres, but her lyric delivery and vocal ornaments do closely resemble reggaeton, best represented in “No Digas Mas” and the title track “HYPERREAL.”
Neoma’s ‘sad-girl’ aesthetic doesn’t stop listeners from wanting to dance-it-up like they’re at the club. “Don’t Call Me Again” has a steady 90’s house beat perfect for strutting along to on a Saturday (or while shopping at Express). “Losing You” digs more into 80’s glam pop and new wave, a trendy sound on which bigger artists like The Weekend are capitalizing.
After charting in Ecuador and gaining an international following, it makes audiences wonder why this pop-sensation chose the Rocky Mountains over cities like New York to call her new home, but the Colorado music community is blessed to have Neoma enrich its musical landscape.
