Macquarie University, hidden away in Sydney suburbia, is not a place where you'd expect to find a hotbed of music talent. Over the past few years however, a number of acts have emerged from this institute, with Boy & Bear and Art vs Science the most successful. Tin Sparrow appear to be destined for similar success with the release of their debut EP From the Sun.

Tin Sparrow, who usually operates as a four-piece, strikes me as a band who just loves playing together. Every time I listen to From the Sun, I can't help but crack a dopey grin no matter how hard I resist, so their frivolity clearly translates over to their recording.

While the EP is on the short side, the four tracks are beautifully created and promise much for future recordings. Similar, but perhaps sunnier than Boy and Bear, the tracks have an alt-country style, with a bounty of vast group harmonies, slide guitar and swingin' rhythms. Their live shows also include plenty of whistling, interesting percussion and countless forms of general yahooing.

"Fool's Gold" just gets my vote as top track. It's probably the one which gets my grin to its dopiest level, the deciding factor. This is a song which is difficult not to get swept up in, with the floating harmonies being finished off nicely by a plucky guitar solo. "For you" is a little dreamier, with excellent use of the usually under-appreciated xylophone. A glockenspiel is also used in other tracks, how cheerful is that!

This is a young band in industry terms, and yet they have already had a good amount of exposure, with reasonable rotation on local radio as well as performances at a number of popular festivals (for which they are custom made for). Rumor has it they've been working on new tracks, so keep your ear to the ground for some more Tin Sparrow coming your way soon. In the meantime, be like me and get happy with From the Sun.

Tracks by Tin Sparrow