Sunshine Social – Sunshine Social EP

Sunshine Social were never supposed to be a band. Songwriter Calum Macdonald had been gaining a reputation as a performer around the bars of Glasgow without the aid of any bandmates. But winning the Billy Kelly Songwriting Award with the help of a few friends changed all of that. Now a fully-fledged seven-piece, the Sunshine Social have finally released their debut EP after a considerable delay. I

t's a fine start, full of folkish reflection with jaunty accompaniment. Next of Kin starts plaintively, but quickly descends into a banjo-led howdown guarenteed to get your feet stomping. Audible Smiles echoes REM with Macdonald reminiscing over an upbeat mandolin riff. The band could work better with Macdonald, as it is they sound more like hired help than a cohesive unit. But this is still an accomplised debut.