Right, let’s be clear: this isn’t some polite, acoustic strum-along. This is Kris Barras reclaiming his blues-rock heart. After diving headfirst into the heavy rock machine of KBB, Hollow Souls materialized not as a pivot, but as a necessary exorcism, a return to the smoky, high-gain roots that birthed the whole operation. It started as a “jam-band experiment,” which is usually code for ‘glorified rehearsal,’ but Barras, alongside long-time collaborator and producer Josiah J Manning, quickly cooked up something too potent to keep in the kitchen.
They gathered a super-collective of hired guns and unleashed this six-track slab of pure, unadulterated swagger. Hollow Souls is a blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll juggernaut that sounds like they could start a bar fight just by tuning up.
The whole EP is built on collaborative chemistry, and for once, the old adage of “too many cooks” doesn’t apply. It works like a charm because the foundation is rock solid. The real alchemy is the dual vocal attack: Barras’s gravelly, road-worn rasp is perfectly contrasted by Phoebe Jane’s punchy, unfiltered powerhouse delivery. They don’t just harmonize; they trade blows and choruses like prize-fighters, lending the music a dynamic, almost competitive energy that keeps the whole operation feeling urgent and alive.
The EP hits you immediately with the colossal opener, Borderline, featuring guitar-slinger Jared James Nichols. This is a one-take barnburner that proves a blues tinge doesn’t mean restraint, it means putting an industrial-grade booster rocket under a classic rock structure. Nichols shreds remotely from the US, laying down licks that are crisp and infectious, stamping its authority right onto your chest. They follow that up with Bad Things, which features Chris Tapp (The Cold Stares). This track lays down a funky, subtly swampy rhythm section. It’s less about speed and more about groove, a nasty, slithering bassline that serves as an earworm wrapped in a greasy, rock ‘n’ roll rag.
The standout attitude, however, comes through on Shotgun (with Jon ‘Marv’ Harvey of Monster Truck) and the absolute riot that is Burn It To The Ground. Shotgun gives you that big, anthemic stomp, built for arenas despite the project’s garage origins. But Burn It To The Ground, featuring Elles Bailey, is the sound of the wheels coming off in the best possible way. Bailey’s smoky vocals blend with a slide guitar that is absolutely insane, delivering a riff that is pure, raw Southern Gothic soul rock. It’s a baptism of fire that sounds like a vintage muscle car tearing across a dusty road in the middle of a lightning storm. This track alone makes the case for the collective’s existence.
Crucially, even the tracks without the big-name collaborations manage to stand tall. I Need The Fire is the pure, urgent core rock track that focuses the band’s intrinsic strength, driving forward with focused intensity. The closer, Chasing Ghosts, offers a slightly more reflective, but still heavy, closing statement, a necessary moment to wipe the sweat and clean the grit before the next round. It’s a six-track lesson in economy: every riff has purpose, every groove demands movement.
Hollow Souls isn’t trying to rewrite the blues manual; they’re trying to set the damn manual on fire and use the light to find their next beer. It’s hard-hitting, soul-infused rock that hits the ground running and never looks back, fuelled by a collective chemistry that sparks off the turntable. If you need a soundtrack for a long drive, a loud night, or just an excuse to turn your amp up to 11, this EP is what you came for. Get on it. 8/10
Review by Spike
Order the Hollow Souls EP on vinyl and CD from – https://shop.hollowsouls.co.uk
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HOLLOW SOULS – Hollow Souls EP Review @RockNews
