Moderate Rock

Sunstinger say they want to sound “as loud as possible” here, on their debut EP. And I get it, conventional wisdom suggests the shoegazey sound they’re going for works best at speaker-busting volume, and with every sonic space filled with noise. But the Fife four-piece have a knack for a hook that they shouldn’t ignore, and actually sound most compelling when they explore details instead of decibels and drift towards a dreamy kind of pop. So, yes, ‘Bonnie’s Kaleidoscope’ is equipped with a satisfying bouncy, fuzzy riff, but the title track washes forwards in gentle waves to reveal outstanding spacey vibes at its centre, ‘Shadows’ turns the stark refrain of “I wish you were dead and I was alive” into something unforgettable, and ‘All My Friends Are High’ is Oasis by way of the Scottish weather. Elsewhere there are some delicate, almost orchestral guitar lines, clever percussion, and a ton of promise.