Born out of Brooklyn, New York, Holy Hive are a folk-soul trio, signed to the boutique independent record label Big Crown. Reminiscent of classic 60's bands like The Velvet Underground and The Beach Boys, blended with the soulful vibe of Motown groups like The Temptations, Holy Hive’s sound is timeless. Their debut album Hypnosis arrived on 29^th of May, following a leak of enticing singles; the first being the noteworthy ‘Float Back To You’, and the second, album opener, ‘Broom’, which gives a good taste of singer Paul Spring’s signature falsetto. One of our favourite albums to come out this year, Hypnosis is full of sun-drenched, Sunday sounds like the upbeat, bongo-ornamented ‘Hypnosis’, as well as contemplative, tender sounds heard on ‘Embers To Ash’, a track anchored by the wavering weeps of the organ, lifted by luscious long guitar stokes. With production from Big Crown label founder Leon Michels, who absolutely nails replicating the woody, vintage tones of the past, Holy Hive have crafted their own intimate brand of feel-good soul music, placing them firmly in our top 20 of 2020. -Ellie Rose-Davies