As we head into a new week, our ears still buzzing from gigs and DJs sets of the weekend, we’re usually in need of something more nurturing and gentle to get us through the next few days. Luckily for us, Belgian duo Portland have been busy creating more lulling indie-pop in new track ‘Lucky Clover’, which follows the last release ‘Pouring Rain’. It’s a fitting follow up as the video for ‘Lucky Clover’ opens with visuals and sounds of heavy rain, leading into another timeless dream-pop sequence of calming piano, atmospheric drums and heartfelt lyrics. The opening line of this song, “when you find your lucky clover / And when the moon is taking over…” is particularly potent and poetic, and from here the song doesn’t depart from this folksy daydream. As the complimentary voices of Jente Pironet and Sarah Pepels harmoniously regale through the chorus, “I wasted all my time / I guess I wasted all my time”, we’re left to mull over these words and the context surrounding them, as we continue to listen to the lingering instrumentation set out by Portland. It’s beautifully melancholic and proves that dream-pop is one of those genres with limitless appeal - an ideal vehicle for the intense emotions of love and heartache. - Hannah Thacker