Portland Town

One of my greatest joys in 2026 has been the release of new material by British riot twee band Heavenly. I’ll admit I approached the release of this year’s brilliantly named Highway to Heavenly LP with a certain amount of skepticism. After decades of radio silence, it’s hard to know what to expect from a long-time favorite and easy to be disappointed.

Fortunately, disappointment was not what I felt when I listened to the new record. It’s easily on par with any previous Heavenly material and I’ve had it in heavy rotation for the last few weeks. There are quite a few bands making jangly twee indie pop, but Heavenly always stands out. Vocals from Amelia Fletcher are distinct and emotive. You’re along for the ride with her. In the case of the first single from Highway to Heavenly, “Portland Town,” you can relate to Fletcher’s desire to be among her own kind of people. I’m guessing Portland is a place where she feels she blends in with the crowd. Portland, with all its eccentricities worthy of parody, remains one of the first cities in alternative culture.

Heavenly – Portland Town (YouTube)