Pop
Alas de Liona delivers an ode to imperfect love in “19.3”
Alas de Liona starts off her highly praised first album, “Gravity of Gold,” with a track as raw and emotional-laden as the metal it’s dedicated to. “19.3,” a reference to gold’s specific gravity, is a poetic plan of attack for the song’s emotional heft and glittering sheen, as its opening track, “19.3,” vibes out what to expect from a project that’s introspective, soul-stirring and unafraid to probe the messy details of love.
Riding on glittering indie-pop sounds and de Liona’s trademark breathy vocals, “19.3” is like a slow emotional purge. It’s a love song, but not of the rose-tinted variety. This is love bared to the bite, complicated, eternal, and quietly challenging. It’s about not letting go of somebody, even as the reasons to do so begin to pile up. There’s a hurt in the melody, but it’s lovely in the way that only authentic music ever can be.
The production, by Rod Jones at Post Electric Studios in Leith, is unassuming but widescreen. Every piece, from the ethereal keys to the spectral light reverb, feels purposeful and featherlight, creating the cushion that lets de Liona’s voice drift like desert dust on a twilight breeze. You can almost sense her Mojave roots resonating through the track, even as Owens’ creative foundation was reinvented in the ancient streets of Edinburgh, where her inner spirit began to take flight.
Like the gold “19.3” alludes to, it has weight but not flash, substance but not pretense. Unsurprisingly, while the album falls into the hands of an offbeat selection of tastemakers ranging from The Line Of Best Fit to BBC Scotland Radio, its success has been inevitable. With this track, Alas de Liona sets aside a place within indie-pop as she decorates it with emotional honesty and poetic precision.
Artist Spotlight
Lana Crow turns challenges into a celebration with “Laugh With You”
“Laugh With You,” the latest single from Lana Crow, is a sincere rallying cry to embrace life in all its messy, beautiful mess. In the song, indie pop and alt-pop combine to deliver an emotional blow that feels both personal and universal.
“Laugh With You” feels like an instant connection, and Crow is telling you stories of hard times with a cozy, knowing smile. This song is as much about struggle as it is about how strong you are. It serves as a reminder that these struggles are simply what give us the strength to keep going, even when life is tough.
Crow encourages people to welcome them, create happiness in the cracks, and laugh even as the world gets heavy. The result is a song that delicately nudges you to love and embrace yourself. It is an anthem for anyone experiencing tough times who refuses to give up hope. Lana Crow continues to demonstrate her songwriting skills, both musically pleasing and emotionally rich, with “Laugh With You.”
It’s a reminder that it’s how we respond to tough times, rather than how they affect us, that’s key. With this song, not only does Crow provide us with music, but she also lets us know that sometimes a laugh is what we need to remember that there is always something to smile about and that, even when it feels like life has waged war against you, laughter can still be found.
Artist Spotlight
Lisa Boostani creates a mesmerizing tidal realm in “Ocean”
Lisa Boostani’s “Ocean” takes you deep into a sensory world where body, spirit, and myth come together, beyond the surface of genre. Boostani makes a soundscape that is both ethereal and deeply human by combining the broad essence of psychedelic pop with the strong appeal of alternative rock.
Her voice rises as if it is coming from deep within her, shaped by emotion rather than action. She intentionally channels the intangible, turning weakness into strength rather than a source of pain, and “Ocean” tells people to get involved in this inner world, not just watch it. This release is an integral part of her first EP, “One,” which will come out in March 2026 and is based on love, sensuality, and unity.
If “Ocean” is any indication, the EP will show sensuality not as something pretty, but as a kind of spiritual intelligence, a way to know yourself by connecting with others. The song’s textures and structure have an aquatic quality, moving between clarity and delirium, rhythm and freedom. Its emotional focus is on immersion instead of resolution.
The striking quality of “Ocean” is the blend of the mystical worlds. Boostani understands that strength often shows up as gentleness and that deep feelings are better expressed through frequencies than words. She wants people to see consciousness as immediacy, sensation as truth, and openness as an undeniable strength.
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