Valley Lights steps deeper into the neon-soaked underbelly of his sonic universe with Devil May Care, a sophomore album that trades the polished glow of aspiration for something moodier, more weathered, and far more emotionally charged. Set against the imagined sprawl of the Sunset Strip after midnight—where glamour leaks into alleyways and broken promises linger in the air—the record expands on the retro-futurist foundations of his earlier work while pushing into darker, more cinematic territory.
From the jump, “Giving Up On You” sets the tone with pulsing synth lines that feel like headlights cutting through fog. The beat is steady but insistent, built for forward motion, while the vocals glide with a charismatic urgency that never quite lets the emotion settle. There’s longing baked into every phrase, but also a stubborn refusal to let go, as if love itself is something worth fighting through static and distance for. It’s catchy, yes, but there’s a tension humming underneath that keeps it from ever feeling light.
That push-and-pull defines much of the album’s emotional landscape. Valley Lights is staining it with doubt, memory, and consequence.
Midway through, “Collateral Damage” slows the pace and lets the mood curdle a little. The synths here feel colder, more spacious, like empty rooms echoing with what used to be. The vocal delivery leans into restraint, almost conversational at times, as he recounts a relationship that burned too bright and left scars that don’t quite fade.
What makes Devil May Care work is its sense of atmosphere. Even at its most melodic, there’s always a shadow at the edge of the frame. Drawing from the glossy melancholy of The Midnight and the late-night pulse associated with The Weeknd’s darker moments, Valley Lights builds a nostalgic and unsettlingly present world.
By the time the album fades out, it feels like wandering through memory with the volume turned up just enough to feel everything at once.
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Review by: Naomi Joan