Things are about to get complicated, so pay attention. Once upon a time, there was a band in the Sixties called Nirvana. There was also a band in the Nineties who went around with this name. You might have heard of them.

Doppelgängland:

Other namesakes would include: Damage, who were both a heavy metal act and a boy band; Verve, which was a record company and a band; Posh, a football team in Peterborough and an ex-Spice Girl and, of course, Stephen Morris, drummer with Joy Division and BBC Gloucestershire music reviewer.

Now, we have a new one. Holloh and Hollow. Not an exact match on paper, it is true, but similar enough to cause a couple of problems for music listeners.

Holloh vs. Hollow:

The similarity of the first five letters of these bands' names is where the likeness ends. Where Holloh are grungy, Hollow are more American indie. To prove it, they reference Matchbox 20 and The Calling in their press release.

This is surely a brave move - to admit to inspiration from some of the most insipid music to make its way out of an electric guitar can be considered nothing less.

Who am I?

Where Hollow succeed is in their lyrics. Most songs are about insecurity in relationships or with oneself. How am I to be a better person and how am I going to prove it to the one I love? is a question that permeates the E.P..

The opening song is a beautiful, poignant portrait of a girl "scared of losing all her dignity in one night". It's an impassioned love song, made all the more so by the rich texture of the instruments. "When the sun goes down/and the world goes around again/I'll be waking up next to you" replies her boyfriend.

Believe it or Not:

After this comes a more upbeat, positive song: "I don't believe in no one but myself" the narrator tells himself as he forces himself to face another day. By the very next song, all the positivism is lost: "Right now I think I need somebody to hold onto for life" he sings. There are times when this band sound like Murdoc - in style and themes. This is one of them.

There are other good lyrical moments in the penultimate song. "If I decide to waver my chance to be one of the hive/would I choose water over wine?" our tormented soul asks. Once again, the song demonstrates his struggle to work out who he is, a theme echoed in the closing lyrics of the final song: "We're finding out now what life is all about".

Bob's Your (Musical) Uncle:

Listening to the last track is a rather disturbing experience. The verse sounds identical to the Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower". Apart from copyright infringement, there is nothing wrong with this. A bit of Dylan at the end of a Mid-Atlantic pop/indie rock band's E.P. can be no bad thing. But when the chorus turns into a variation of Hanson's "Mmm Bopp", it is then that we have cause for concern.

Hollow are on a voyage of self discovery. While they do it, they are producing some good music - and even better lyrics. Apart from the borrowed Dylan songs, they deserve their self produced sub heading of "Original" band. Next time they appear in Gloucester, it might not be a bad idea to see them.

06/07/04 - First published on www.bbc.co.uk/gloucestershire