This edition of alt-rock Bops floats into hazy moods, deep bass warmth, and the soft emotional glow that sits in a alt-rock atmosphere. Today’s pick is slow burning, cinematic and full of feeling.

Highroad No. 28 – Ache

Highroad No. 28 offer a moody, atmospheric al-rock moment that blends brooding bass, emotional vocals and a cinematic sense of space.

Australian outfit Highroad No. 28 return with Ache, a track that leans into simmering intensity while remaining smooth, steady and hypnotic. Built on deep grooves and low rising energy, the song unfolds like a late night drive through memory, its heartbeat shaped by raw vocals and quietly powerful instrumentation. The band describe this as a darker and more mature phase, and that depth comes through clearly in the slow building tension and the reflective tone of the lyrics.

Recorded at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and mixed by James Taplin, Ache marries intricate melodies with clean, atmospheric production, giving the track a driven but emotionally charged feel. It sits in a sweet spot where house influenced rhythm meets alternative mood, creating the kind of track made for headphones, night windows and empty roads. The ache in the title is present throughout, captured in the cinematic guitars and the lingering sense of longing that threads through its core.

As the first single from their upcoming album The Will to Endure, Ache marks Highroad No. 28’s evolution into something more layered, more moody and perfectly suited to the alt-rock landscape.