If you follow dark pop (or electro pop, or whichever term you use to describe artists that sound like Purity Ring), you’ve probably realized that an incredible amount of that style of music hails from the great nation of Australia. Quietly, our friends down under have been churning out some top quality ethereal pop music, and if you ever cover music you’ll find yourself writing a lot about Aussie tunes.

But we’re not here to talk about Australia. We’re here to talk about their sexy, southeastern neighbor New Zealand, who graced us today with three of the smoothest records we’ve heard in a while.

Two come from Leisure, an Auckland-based outfit who are making electronic music with undeniable soul and irresistible guitar. “Take it to the Top” is an uptempo dance floor record, with a wonderfully off-kilter synth refrain that gives it a sense of urgency akin to The Weeknd’s best stuff.

Their second single “All Over You” is much slower, and downright sultry. With a chunky bass line that pours out in clumps, the group crafted a funky, sensual record reminiscent of PGM favorite Dornik. It’s a breathtaking song, and solidifies the fact that their forthcoming album will surely be something special.

Our next track, “Let Me Down,” comes courtesy of Madeira, the solo project of Kim Pflaum, and it sounds positively intergalactic. In the vein of  forward thinking, female-fronted indie pop groups like Rubblebucket or TOPS, Pflaim lets her personality shine through with her gorgeous, haunting vocals. It’s the kind of record you can listen to and feel in your bones without delving into the meaning of the lyrics, but once you do it gains a touching, melancholy resonance.

So yeah. This was a pretty weird frame to use for this post, but the important thing is you should listen to these songs because they are each terrific in their own unique way.

Three cheers for the Kiwis.

https://soundcloud.com/shhsecretsongs/shh035-madeira-let-me-down