Yesterday I visited BBC Radio Manchester, at the impressively futuristic Media City UK in Salford (which, when lit up at night looks just like a spaceport), to tip some bands for the coming year.

The show goes out on Sunday night, so I can’t tell you which bands I staked my flimsy reputation on yet, but needless to say it was a uniquely stressful half-hour – not only because I was suggesting who might ‘make it’, but also because I was asked to comment on the state of the modern music scene, and where it was heading next.

Well, what would you say? I made the usual noises about new technology, perpetual musical shape-shifting, etc, etc. In fairness, I could have as easily pointed towards Spell Hound and shrugged, “Maybe like this?”

Strictly speaking, Spell Hound bill themselves as Chillwave, which, frankly, is a misnomer – because Circling sounds a lot more interesting and blunt/sharp than such genrefication suggests.

This is a song with heart, and thought and gloom and light – but above all is an indication of what music is now.

That is: a narrowly-determined set of sounds from individuals who value their own expression and direction over everything else. And, as of now, that’s pretty much the best thing that you can hope for – and Spell Hound personify all this, and then some.

MORE: soundcloud.com/spell-hound