Pixey - Sunshine State

As she begins with the brilliantly perky, just made-for-teen-film montages ‘Life In Stereo’, Pixey asserts her trademark girl band-meets-Britpop sound with glorious conviction. Her knack for a melody shines on the release’s more upbeat moments (‘Life in Stereo’, as well as fellow singles ‘Sunshine State’ and ‘Take Me On’) just as brightly as it does on the rest of the EP, which on the whole leans into a more reflective sound. There’s definitely two sides to ‘Sunshine State’, and the Merseyside singer-songwriter released the dancefloor ready bops first - it would be easy for the rest to feel underwhelming, but she packs the calmer moments with so much atmosphere that they’re just as bright as the singles. Closer ‘Heaven’ is a real highlight, showcasing Pixey’s lyricism amongst the flickering instrumental and ringing in the dusk of ‘Sunshine State’ with gorgeous magnitude.