An interesting edge of character draws you into the colourful grooves and hooks of this project. Washington DC band Stephen Sol & The & 7 blend the excitable musicianship of folk-rock, with the softer conceptual and melodic stylings of pop, for their five-track EP Sunshine Wine.
As an example of that fusion of qualities, the title-track Sunshine Wine makes the perfect introduction. The vocals are modest, a boy-next-door kind of sound, with a subject matter and tune that’s family-friendly in its short lines and ear-worm optimism. Underneath this, however, is a slick and stylish folk-rock instrumental – guitar solos, bends, rhythmic picking, the live crash and tumble of the drums.
It’s a cool sound gifted a wave of mainstream warmth, and that sense of personality runs throughout the almost gospel-like resolve of The Moon, and even the softer acoustic intimacy of Forever Changed. Then for Spring (I Made It), the soaring Americana grit of the band’s versatility shows itself, inviting a huge moment of rock-kissed togetherness, before the final quirky optimism of Hum Of Love wraps things up in a manner similar to that in which they began.
Without a doubt, Stephen Sol & The 7 would be a fun and uplifting band to witness in the live setting, and this EP organically celebrates that.
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