San Francisco’s Joe Knight has gone the Prince route here, playing and recording every instrument on Rangers’ sophomore LP by himself. Additionally, Pan Am Stories is a sprawling opus, a full double album that runs a bit over an hour. Nostalgia-pop gone prog — just replace the keyboard solos with flange guitar. The closest comparison might be that Toro Y Moi LP from earlier this year (both albums are vaguely funky), but Knight’s music is not nearly as slick — less Urban Outfitters, more thrift store.

The whole grainy, Ariel Pink-esque AM radio production actually works here because the instrumental sounds are distinct — the guitar lines are catchy and plentiful, the bass lines maintain groove, and reliance on production over musicianship is minimal. The disorienting nostalgia production actually lends a spacious feel to the music, which has become far more developed since Rangers’ debut.

So while one could lump this in with the other “chillwave” records that have come out these past few years, Pan Am Stories is the first one to really impress me (or even, the first one I’ve felt compelled to listen to more than twice). The base aesthetic value has substance, and while these songs aren’t immediately distinguishable from each other, the hooks and melodies are there for repeat listeners. I was sold on Pan Am Stories by the guitar lead at the halfway point of “Sacred Cows,” but have since noted the hooks of “Zombies (Night),” and the triumphantly disorienting “Zeke’s Dream.”