8/10

Throughout the last few years, artist and producer Ian Hilton has been one of the more prolific names on the underground scene. And after finding himself without a band for the first time in fifteen years, he returned with his likethehotels project earlier this year with his breakthrough debut single 'cosplay rockstar', a release that instantly established himself as one of the more formidable talents arriving in recent months. And after a wave of support for his recent run of releases, he now looks to cement his vibrant legacy so far with his anthemic debut album 'salt', a record that continues that thunderous appeal he has been crafting lately.

Much like what these initial offerings first showcased, 'salt' is a bold and driven alt-rock offering, oozing with raw and explosive ideas from start to finish. Paying a strong homage to the more euphoric aesthetic of the 90s scene, his initial collection sees him breaking out as a truly exhilarating individual. Brimming with these blistering hooks and a stellar production across all of its eleven tracks, Hilton finds himself in a renewed and adventurous spirit as he looks to go louder and more impactful than ever before.

This new venture may only be a few months old, but 'salt' has already heightened his incredibly diverse and experimental approach to his sound. Taking all of those years of experience and injecting them into every chord, likethehotels feels like a project we are going to be hearing a lot more about in the months to come as well.