Aurealis – Exquisite
Aurealis's 'Exquisite' is a glossy, cinematic slice of synth-pop brilliance, capturing the ache of impossible attraction with euphoric vibes
'Exquisite' lives in the gap between wanting and knowing better. Aurealis builds the whole track around that tension: staring too long, looking away, composing a conversation in your head that will never actually happen. The production is lush and layered, synths shimmering underneath vocals that pile up into something brilliant. And that repeated 'mind, mind, mind' hook? It burrows in and stays there. The song never crosses the line it keeps circling; it's about having the feeling, not acting on it, and the rush and awkwardness that come with that restraint. Brilliant synth-pop, euphoric and emotionally sharp.
Aurealis is a solo, studio-based artist from the Southeastern US, back with us again after 'How I Feel' a few weeks ago. The project is built around cinematic electronic pop, layered vocals and atmospheric synths, with each release accompanied by a distinctive visual world. 'Exquisite' arrives with a striking black, white and silver aesthetic: mirrors, light, reflections, two magnetic figures circling one another. We love it. An artist we're really enjoying following this year.
Foxy Leopard – Children of the War
Foxy Leopard's 'Children of the War' is a stunning, stripped-back alt-country meditation on inherited struggle, raw and resonant and built to stay with you
'Children of the War' opens with a raspy voice and the metallic ring of a steel-body resonator guitar. The verses follow an old man by the roadside, a woman raising children alone, and eventually the children themselves, singing the simplest lines: different men, different roads, different minds, different goals. That tension drives the whole song, and the sparse arrangement never lets you forget it. The ending refuses the big finish, returning to the same old man, same question, answered now by children's voices offering hope instead of a solution. Stunning alt-country writing, raw and emotionally precise.
Foxy Leopard is a cinematic alt-country project from Quebec, following up 'Same Old Sermon' from a few months back. The sound sits between 1860s folk and modern outlaw storytelling: resonator guitar, harmonica, close vocals that feel closer to field recording than studio polish. 'Children of the War' is the new single from the upcoming album After. This one hits hard and if it's anything go by, the album should be a blast.
Siri Neel – West Street
Siri Neel's 'West Street' is a bold, glittering synth-pop anthem about giving yourself permission to take up space, and it's impossible not to move to
'West Street' hits bright and wide from the first bar. Siri Neel builds the track around that moment before you go out: red lipstick in hand, doubt creeping in, the decision to follow the feeling anyway. When the chorus lands it feels like choosing the bolder version of yourself. Her voice, that Kate Bush comparison she keeps earning, carries everything with warmth and theatrical edge. The production stays playful, all shimmering textures and propulsive beats that refuse to let you overthink. Genuinely brilliant synth-pop, confident and LOADS of fun.
Copenhagen-based Siri Neel is back with us after 'I Think I Said Something' eight months ago. She spent six years unable to sing due to nerve damage, and fought her way back to earn UK radio plays, a slot at The Alternative Great Escape, and a place on Europe's 100 Artists to Watch. British art-pop sensibility meets Scandinavian melancholy and real character. We need more of that these days, right? A banger.
ERICKOSCAR – Till We Turn Grey
ERICKOSCAR's 'Till We Turn Grey' is a tender, heartfelt country-pop love letter, sincere and warmly affecting from start to finish.
'Till We Turn Grey' does exactly what a good love song should: it makes the personal feel universal. ERICKOSCAR builds the track around acoustic guitar and a warm, guitar backed vocal, letting the lyrics do the heavy lifting. The arrangement stays open, commercial pop touches sitting comfortably alongside country instrumentation, and the melody lands where it needs to. There's real affection in the writing, fifteen years of marriage distilled into something direct and unguarded. Lovely country-pop balladry, sincere and affecting.
ERICKOSCAR is based in Cave Springs and has been playing acoustic guitar with his church worship band for over thirty-five years. He's obviously hit a run of form, and has recently taught himself music production software to start bringing them to life as full recordings. His father was a singer who filled his childhood with love songs and ballads, and that influence is all over this track. A really sweet one this track, and definitely worth your ears this week.