“Advice” by Hollows: shimmering tremolo guitars open up this glorious alt/indie-rock song by the alternative trio from Manchester. Following this comes a ferocious onslaught that features powerful drums, hard-hitting guitar and ground-shaking bass as the band take things up a notch to eleven, packing a punch to rival the likes of Rush, Muse, and Royal Blood in terms of the thunderous sonics – an impressive feat. A particular highlight is the band’s mastery of dynamics – varying the audio aggression in order to maximise the impact that the heavier, louder sections have. A superb song that shows this band has both the talent and the vision to make music that will set them apart from the crowd.

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“Everything Is Not Yet Lost” by Vassilis: an enigmatic, almost foreboding guitar line introduces this indie/alternative song from Manchester-based musician Vassilis. Synth melodies quickly follow and are swiftly joined by percussion as Vassilis meticulously builds the song layer by layer, creating an impressively rich musical tapestry in the process. The final ingredient is the vocal delivery that carries a sense of anguish, adding an even greater depth to the lyrics. With everything in place, the song continues its meandering course, throwing in some unexpected, but warmly welcome, musical surprises that keeps the song fresh. A well-rounded song that will likely be a grower with each repeated listen.

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“Skin” by H A Z E: a deliciously dark and brooding song filled with attitude and personality, courtesy of H A Z E’s characterful vocal delivery. Warm, bass-heavy synth opens the song before a noticeably sinister twist is brought about by tense, minor-key electronic melodies that truly captures the listener. Whilst this instrumentation creates the overall vibe, it is the vocals that step onto the spotlight as they possess an operatic quality that really cuts through the mix, soaring as they do so. A refreshing electronic-pop song.