Sunshine (Independent)

Despite their golden band name, the heads of those in the local dreampop act Sunshine are firmly wedged in a thick bed of clouds. That’s not to say the group’s self-titled LP isn’t full of warm melodies, just that some especially pillowy production tricks mute the brighter tones of the 11 songs (12 if you count a remix of the album’s “French Exit”).

But even while vocalist Trevor Risk’s hushed vocals are slathered in a reverb so thick you’ll think your ears are packed with Vaseline, you can still get the gist of his approach. “Showering With Wine”, the sweetly shoegazing opener, does in fact feature lines about a bottle of the good stuff, while the singer gets self-referential on “Ice Cream Social” by detailing time spent at the sock-hop night of the same name he helps DJ in town.

Musically, a surprisingly nasty fuzz-guitar riff rips through “Arnprior”, eclipsing the ethereal keyboard oscillations sprinkled through the otherwise sugary tune. The jangly rave-up “The Star Spangled Rammer” conjures up a La’s influence, while the extended instrumental intro of “Sundays Are for Cats” strangely flirts with the funkiness of Fugazi’s “Waiting Room” before hitting its dancey stride. Elsewhere, the LP is filled with hazy popscapes (“Mariah”) and echo-laden ballads (“Wet Thank Yous”) that, while not as unapproachable as a black-metal boom-box recording, take their time to fully soak in.