South London art-pop dup Selthe perform an impressive trick on 'Hard 2 Admit'. There are many elements of classic, unifying pop here, but somehow they manage to turn them inside out, inverting the track's potential for mid-tempo escapism and alighting upon something much more interesting. Day-glo synth leads, no-nonsense basslines and earwormy hooks are all present and correct, and well-crafted enough to tick many stadium-sized pop boxes, yet every time the track threatens to spill into cliche, it takes a totally unexpected left turn. The effect is almost anhedonic, as if we're deliberately being told how to feel, then having the ability to register those familiar emotions whipped away. It's a powerful, unsettling statement, its initial strangeness yielding considerable rewards after a couple of listens.

Selthe's debut EP Illuminations part 2 is out this Friday on their own label, drawing. Find them on Bandcamp here.