Isra y Vale.

Isra y Vale is a Mexico–Costa Rica dream pop duo. The story begins in Chicago, in 2009: that's where they met and decided to make music together, with nineties indie pop and alternative rock as their schooling. Then came a season in Tijuana, where their first EP came out, and today they're based in California, with a sound of soft ballads, reverb-soaked guitars, and the voice up front.

That first EP came out in 2017: “Un Milagro,” with “Nueva Creación” inside — the duo's most-streamed song, already past 13 million plays on Spotify. Then came the singles “Camina Junto a Mí” (2018) and “Incomprensible” (2019), and a break they ended in 2022 with “Abba” and “Marinero.”

That return led to “Aguadulce,” their studio project split into two installments: “Aguadulce I” (March 2023) and “Aguadulce II” (October 2023), with “Paraíso,” “Tiempo,” and “Carrera” as singles. The title looks back at their origins; in 2024 they took it acoustic with “Aguadulce Acústico En Vivo,” four songs recorded live with guitar and voice. Everything comes out on the Vástago Producciones label.

There are also honors: in 2023 the Arpa Awards nominated them for Songwriter of the Year, and in 2024 they were guest artists on Jesús Adrián Romero's “Terrenal” tour through the United States and Puerto Rico, with a stop at the Coca-Cola Music Hall in San Juan.

What sets them apart? Lyrics that speak of grief, hope, and faith without frills: songs that fit just as well in a worship service as on the morning bus. Their YouTube channel tops 20,000 subscribers, and the catalog is short but carefully made. If it's your first time, start with “Miel” or “Marinero”: which one would you add to your playlist first?