Throughout 2021, our appreciation for Rough Trade-signed, progressive-folk group caroline has grown exponentially. Having been lucky enough to catch them live at Cafe Oto a few months ago, caroline's spellbinding live show was easily one of our favourites of the year. Somehow managing to manipulate sound, time and space with pin-point precision and a sense of cathartic freedom, the incredibly talented octet are a very special musical prospect. Pairing organic elements like strings. drums and percussion with loud and heavily effected electric guitars, which, unusually, provide the rhythmic backbone of their pieces, caroline's drawn-out approach to their compositions leaves a tonne of space for experimentation. With their most recent single 'IWR' arriving alongside the announcement their self-titled debut album (due out on the 25th of February), we anticipate caroline being a favourite of ours for years to come. -Holly Mullineaux