Francesco Amoroso per TRISTE©

Neon Pink, the second album from Sunlit, confirms how Joe Moore (also active with the magnificent The Yearning – recently returned with a new single- Julie et Joe, and The Perfect Kiss) has refined the introspective direction of his debut into something more immediate and emotionally exposed. Rooted in a gentle, caressing strain of dream pop, the album unfolds as a direct meditation on love in its many forms: Beside recounts a fulfilling and reciprocated relationship; the title track captures the exhilarating moment when you sense that your loved one reciprocates; Pompeii Moment, like a more mature version of the Smiths’ There Is a Light…, revels in the idea of ​​dying beside your loved one when the world ends. Its sonic palette draws on familiar atmospheres, and its ethereal guitars are wrapped in soft, enveloping production. Yet Moore shapes these influences into something distinctly personal, where nostalgia and melancholy are balanced by a quiet, dreamlike sense of contentment. The melodies, supported by restrained arrangements that enhance their mood, are subtle yet memorable, almost as if Cigarettes After Sex had suddenly stopped writing the same song over and over again. What stands out most is the emotional arc: the record moves seamlessly from warmth and connection to longing and quiet pain (the album’s saddest song, Let You Down, describes the end of a relationship), capturing fleeting moments with disarming sincerity. Moore’s vocals, intimate and unguarded, reinforce this closeness, lending the songs a human fragility that anchors the lush instrumentation. Neon Pink ultimately maintains a delicate balance between vulnerability and clarity. An album of shadowy, understated beauty that simultaneously fascinates and enthralls.

Neon Pink, track-by-track (by Joe Moore)

“Having accidently created the Sunlit project during the Covid era, when only I could sing the songs I was writing, I realised I had more inspiration for a new set of songs, from Spring 2024-25, which became Neon Pink. I’d been listening to a lot of romantic indie pop songs and it chimed with how I was feeling personally, and it felt good to get these incredible feelings out in the form of songs. This album continues the same vibe of the previous in terms of the rich, atmospheric, reverb-heavy production and guitar-led instrumentation, but with the positive energy of life-changing love affecting the melodies I was singing. The music evolved over time and I worked hard on the sound, adding layers to create the dreamy soundscapes.“

TRACK BY TRACK 

01. Beside

The first single and the first song I wrote for this album, it encapsulates everything I was feeling at the time: hope, relief, desire, contentment. The chorus melody climbs and falls and I think the bassline for the verses is based on The Stone Roses, almost a melody in itself. I have always loved the music from Twin Peaks, so the soaring and floating synth pads are reminiscent to me of this.

02. Goosebumps

I love the driving 80s bassline and the way the melody builds here, and the chorus is the climax with the repeated lines. I love how the guitar parts turned out too!

03. Neon Pink

A lot of these songs are inspired by a holiday in the sun, escaping with the girl of your dreams, and this is one of them! It feels a bit like a folk song and sums up the whole album in terms of emotions, hence being the title track.

04. Lemon Daiquiri

Another of those songs conceived from a sun lounger in Cyprus, designed to relax and soothe. The arpeggios running through this are typical of the sound that you hear on all these songs.

05. Blush

A chorus chord sequence that I’ve always found engaging, and I wanted to have themes of intimacy throughout the project like this. A lovely way to round off side A (the marble pink vinyl is beautiful!).

06. Ours To Tell

One of those songs with a storytelling lyric, highlighting the little things that make a relationship so unique and special. The yearning of the melody and chord progression makes this one of my favourite songs on the album, and one of the central themes of a bright future filled with love.

07. Lifetime Of First Times

A phrase coined when I realised I was being pushed out of my comfort zone in so many ways and experiencing new situations and emotions every day…and these were helping me in a positive way, making me excited about what lay ahead. I felt I was learning so much and embracing a world that felt new. The chord progression is from an old Sally Shapiro Italo Disco song which I love, and the chorus is so simple but encapsulates the emotion.

08. Let You Down

The saddest song on the album and a way of letting go of past melancholy and embracing the future. Inspired by Cigarettes After Sex and their incredible knack for those heart-wrenchingly beautiful-but-sad songs.

09. The Last

The 6/8 timing fits nicely with the overall 50s twang of the album here, and I’d read a piece about wanting to be the last person in someone’s journey, yet accepting you aren’t the first. One of my favourite lines is the one about kissing on every red light.

10. Pompeii Moment

The idea of dying content beside the one you love in the face of disaster seemed like the obvious ending to this album full of romance, desire, hope and complete happiness. I’d been listening to Bryan Ferry!

My aim was to make an album to lie and listen with headphones in the evening and drift away on a dream – I hope anyone who hears these songs can enjoy them too. 

Neon Pink is out now via Elefant Records. Look HERE for more information on Sunlit.