Scottish shoegaze/alternative outfit Sunstinger released their second EP Worthless back in July, showing great promise for the band! The EP has an overarching theme of searching for more without getting anywhere – whilst it may sound a little depressing at first, the melancholic themes really suit the dreamy shoegaze sound that Sunstinger have, expertly curating their sound here. Let’s dive in!
By Jane Howkins
The first track on Worthless is also the title track, Worthless. It instantly has that classic shoegaze sound, sounding absolutely drenched in reverb throughout the piece (and the record itself). However, there’s still something quite melodic about the piece – the vocals are stunning, having a dreamy, distorted quality that simply oozes emotion. It’s got a nice expansive sound, leading into next track Sink perfectly.
Sink still has the typical shoegaze sound in parts, but it’s more of a straight up alt-rock song, featuring a more traditional song structure than Worthless. It’s actually a pretty beautiful sounding piece of music, seeing the band using a lovely chord sequence. The chorus really amps the tension up – it’s the first shoegaze sound I’ve ever heard with a singalong quality!
Aro is another full throttle rock and roller, although it takes a while for the beat to kick in, keeping you constantly guessing as to which way Sunstinger are going to go with this song. The main guitar sequence is really catchy, driving the tune forward, ensuring it gets stuck in your head on the first listen. Occasionally, the distorted effects break away, allowing the main motif to shine through on its own two feet.
Death Is is another killer tune, really playing on the emotions of the listener to draw you into Sunstinger’s world. The track plays around with the dynamics a lot, going from a more mellow verse to a heavier chorus, creating something really anthemic in the process. Endless June is an absolute masterpiece of a song, seeing Sunstinger really dive into their shoegaze roots. The track has a rich sound, making for euphoric listening and the perfect closing song for such a remarkable record, drenching your ears with a palatable noise.
I’ve never been a massive fan of the shoegaze scene, but I think Sunstinger might just have turned me onto the genre with Worthless. It’s a brilliant record that’s full of beauty, despite the themes present here.