The Wrap: November 2023 ✨

we’ve got our next edition of The Wrap for you all, covering a load of incredible releases from November! there’s so much incredible music being released, we love to see it – we’ve written a bunch of reviews for some of our favourites, and you can find all of them below ⬇️


Sheffield’s own alternative rockers Sweet Beast have just released their new EP “Good Times“! Full of luscious guitar riffs, huge vocal harmonies and a driving rhythmic backdrop, it’s an incredible release. Lots of old school rock inspiration here, it’s full of energetic and upbeat ferocity, and with gorgeous guitar solos, their ability to write bangers is proved in full. With anthemic choruses, lovely guitar tones, a real chemistry between the band, they’ve proved themselves as ones to watch – we can’t wait to hear more! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)


We’re huge fans of Jacob Reddy, with him making incredible waves in the North West scene over the course of the year, performing a headline set at The Deaf Institute and playing at Glastonbury, releasing a bunch of incredible tracks, and he’s returned with a brand new single “Breaking Me Down“! Taking a more heavier, alternative rock feel compared to his previous singles, it feels as if his maturity shines right through this tune. An intimate and passionate lyrical context throughout, over a lovely guitar progression – the drums and bassline only accentuate the quality of this track, giving it a lovely flow and space, which Jacob utilises extensively with his performance. Well worth a listen! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)


We had Abi Rose Kelly perform for us during the Summer, and we’ve been waiting so long to have her play for us – she’s an absolutely incredible talent, we love her tunes, and this new single “Startin’ 2 Panic!” is real proof of her ability. Her unmatched ferocity, and ability to write down-to-earth and relatable lyrics, puts her as a real talent to keep an eye on in the North West. The force behind this track, with the production, instrumentation, and prolific vocals really bring the track to life – the layers of distortion, the power that’s embedded in the song, they all come together to make a really incredible tune. We can’t wait to hear even more! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)


We’ve had Aurora Rays on our radar for a good while now, and her innate ability to create a gorgeous track is incredible – her new single “Saturday” here with Claudio Filippini is evident of that! Opening up with a lovely, almost synth-pop feel, there’s a luscious production element here, and with the pianowork as it opens up it really unfolds into a massive sound. Her vocal over the top is encapsulating, really drawing the attention of the listener, and the rhythm is spot on to keep the track flowing expertly. There’s lovely vocal harmonies throughout, and you can listen to the track over and over and still retain the feeling you had when you heard for the first time. It’s well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)


We’ve had Cal Murphy perform for us a bunch – the Manchester-born songwriter has a real ability to convey a story within his lyricism. We’ve been in awe of his live performances for a good while, always a great set – and this new single “One More Glass Of Whiskey” really proves his talent. The storytelling in this track is top-notch, conveying the socio-political elements of corruption, you can really hear his influences of traditional music and folk singers throughout. There’s a lovely melody that repeats right from the get-go, referenced by the violin later in the track, and the groove of the track is accentuated fully by the rhythm, balanced with the guitarwork. Fantastic stuff! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)


We covered Zara Smile‘s previous single “Human” on our Just The Crust feature earlier this year, and their brand new tune “Spotlight” is out now! A lovely, indie-folk-inspired tune; reminiscent of songwriters like Elliot Smith and Julien Baker – it’s a real delicate track full of emotion, about finding the right path, in a world that feels like it’s against you constantly. Their ability to convey such intricate and deep-rooted issues through music is inspirational, really proving their songwriting talent; and the downbeat and intimate nature of the instrumentation in the song really lends you to take a real good listen to the lyricism. It’s a gorgeous release and well worth checking out! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / YOUTUBE)


We had BARDS perform for us back in October at The Castle Hotel, and their raw power, ferocity and ability to wow a crowd really sets them apart from the rest – we’ve caught them live a bunch and they always smash it! Their new single “Roast” came out in November and it’s one of our favourites – getting going right from the start with huge anthemic guitarwork, massive drums and a powerful bassline, giving a real ferocious backdrop for the vocal to shine through. This is one of our favourite choruses, it’s catchy, driving and powerful – and the parallel atmosphere compared to the verse really makes it stand out. It’s a huge track, with so much going on, working perfectly in unison to create a huge soundscape – and the psychedelic nature of the bridge is a perfect break, yet also a brilliant precursor to the final chorus. We love it! (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP / YOUTUBE)


The Rolling People have had an incredible 2023, performing at prestigious venues across Manchester and the North West, gaining over 100k streams on their single “Better Man” – and their new single “Grateful for Nothing” sounds absolutely fantastic. The Stockport-based indie outfit open the track with an anthemic, dreamy state, with luscious guitar lines throughout, only for the main vocal to come in and take direct command of the track. It’s a down-to-earth and conversationalist tone lyrically, almost as if you’re in the pub with your mates – and with a proper singalong chorus, it’s a track that will see The Rolling People go far. (SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / BANDCAMP)


yet another incredible month of music, there’s been so many fantastic releases, and there’s a whole plethora of talent out there, that we didn’t get to cover! thanks to everyone who has checked this out! 🤘

Make sure you head on down to open mics, gigs, support local music and arts and keep your scenes going! 😊 all music, videos and images remain copyright of their respective owners. 🍞

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