Sunstinger's debut EP is a stellar collection of alt-shoegaze tracks

Sunstinger, the 4-piece band from Fife, are notorious for producing luminous soundscapes with their emblematic take on the shoegaze genre. Their debut EP, Beyond the Frame, is a stellar collection of alt-shoegaze tracks.

Photo: Rory Cowieson

The EP opens with Bonnie's Kaleidoscope, a track that lures you in and builds suspense. Going into the first chorus, it builds up with heavier drums and erupts into a hard hitting spectacle. The EP's title track, Beyond the Frame, starts off slow with softer vocals, then the tempo gradually picks up into the chorus.

Shadows, which was released earlier this year, reminisces on singer Taylor Wright's youth and features some steady drums and remains upbeat throughout. They stay true to the shoegaze sound with the mixture of overwhelming volume, obscured vocals, reverb and distortion. As the last track, All My Friends are High, starts playing it feels like the end of a movie – a good closing track for a solid debut EP.

Speaking on the EP, Taylor Wright says this project encapsulates everything Sunstinger represents and how it's the sound they've been searching for these last few years. He says: "We've grafted hard and it's nice to have something to show for it, it means a lot to us but it still feels like this is just the beginning. We're still one of the new bands around here, we still have something to prove."

by Emmi Sollie