Fans of José González, early Bon Iver and Sigur Ros, come a little closer for the hushed tones and melodic sweeps of ‘Expanse’. This soothing track comes from Leeds-based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and producer Alessio Scozzaro, who goes by the moniker Vraell. This new project is an outpouring of musical flexibility, which Scozzaro felt he couldn’t exercise during his university studies in film scoring. Yet, there’s an undeniably cinematic aura to ‘Expanse’; it evokes naturalistic scenes through the delicate strings and otherworldly influences in the mesmeric electronica. Moreover, this five-minute creation feels intimate, most likely derived from the musician’s experience of emotional pain and isolation. As he elaborates: “The song encompasses that feeling of helplessness we sometimes get in the wake of life. How we all suffer under this weight, but when we just push ourselves to seek the new, we always come out of it with clarity and a feeling of rejuvenation and purpose. We aren't so alone in our pain and when we realise our truth, our path, we can finally begin to start finding it and not feel so lonely and helpless, even if it is really hard for most of the time. This song is the echo of our collective pain, but also the hope that we can find peace and quiet in the daily noise within ourselves and come out of it better people.” ‘Expanse’ is the first in a line of songs from Vraell’s upcoming EP, so watch this space. - Hannah Thacker