Hollow Shift just dropped their new EP WAR, and it might be the most focused thing this Athens duo has put out yet. Jessica Bell and Alexander Zamparas have been building this darkwave and synthwave sound for a while now, and on these three songs it finally feels fully locked in.
The EP is built around conflict, but not in a cheesy way where every line is about literal war. It’s more about the smaller battles, the ones you fight with yourself or the people around you. One track starts off almost quiet and just keeps adding layers until you realize how much weight it’s carrying and that kind of patience is hard to pull off, and these two manage it.
Jessica’s voice is wonderful and attractive. She doesn’t oversell anything, she just lets a line sit there, and that restraint is what makes the heavier moments land. Alexander’s production fills the space around her with thick, moody synths that never crowd things out. “Frequencies Will Stumble” is the rack that grabbed my attention the most.
What I like most is that this isn’t just mood music. There are real hooks buried in here too, so it works at 2am or while you’re doing dishes.
If darkwave with some actual emotional pull is your thing, check this one out. Do yourself a favor and follow Hollow Shift on Instagram too, they post some great behind the scenes stuff.
Follow Hollow Shift: Instagram – Spotify
