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Valley, indie pop’s undeniable revolutionaries of nostalgia-core, have released the ultimate summer soundtrack with their sophomore album, Lost In Translation, infusing every song with youthful longing and the mature ache of growing pains. The album arrives following the success of the band's Ones To Watch-presented tour of the same name.

Lost In Translation even comes with its own opening theme, a snippet of ambient orchestration and guttural synths. This introductory arrangement introduces us to the album’s emotional landscape, like a musical’s overture, while also laying the groundwork for VALLEY’s newest pop-avant-garde adventurousness in all its glitchy glory. 

The title track is the definition of a hot start, hitting listeners with an instant wall of prismatic sound as arpeggiating keys glitter behind waves of lush synths and reverb-laden vocals fill every corner of the cavernous soundscape. “Lost In Translation” has that kind of fullness that makes you want to cry before you’re even sure why.

“Throwback Tears” launches us into a punchy pop progression, each instrument working in tandem to create an infectiously rhythmic track. Valley stacks the keyboard chords with colorful, dissonant notes, so even the catchy pops of keys are heart-wrenching. The band somehow bottles that feeling of getting over someone and pours it into this song; you feel the bite of bitterness in the lyrics, while the track still mourns the loss. 

“Natural” follows as a melodic standout that highlights lead singer Rob Laska’s range. The song flows as naturally as the lyrics—chill, unrushed, and a little sultry in its ease. “Break For You” compliments the upbeat current of “Natural” with an invitation to be vulnerable. It starts with heartfelt simplicity, then Valley layers in a driving drumbeat that doesn’t take away from the earnest tone but instead adds a determined, hopeful pace to the ballad it began as. 

The next few songs feel like they’ve been pulled from the credits reel of a coming-of-age movie that ended just a bit too unresolved. “Have A Good Summer” embodies that ache of truly wishing someone the best but still wishing they were with you. Then, “Good But Not Together” merges acoustic introspection with electronic twinges of longing for the nostalgia factor, while “Evenings & Weekends” reminds listeners of their worth, featuring a killer bridge that had me playing the song on repeat just to hear it again. 

“i thought i could fly” coasts lightly in sound, but sits heavy in content, admiring the silhouette of giving up from afar. Although a tender topic, this song is sure to be a relatable one for listeners as Valley discards any filter to tell this story. It leads right into “Either Way, I’m Going Your Way,” which offers a hopeful reprise of sorts. Valley picks us back up into pop perkiness, even while the lyrics continue to muse reflectively. 

“I Haven’t Seen You In Forever,” “Big Jet Plane,” and “Fishbowl” have become my personal post-party, windows down, driving home with my best friends anthems; they’re the perfect medley of indie-pop bounce and slight melancholy. Meanwhile, “We Don’t Need Malibu” will be saved for the top spot on a giddy summer situationship playlist, all butterflies and fingers crossed in its acoustic ease.

Look no further than VALLEY’s Lost In Translation to soundtrack every moment of your summer.

Listen to Lost In Translation below: