Cinema Sound System – Sunnan

When I opened Spotify (free version) the other day to write a review about Sunnan‘s EP, it casually reminded me, ‘You like six songs by this artist’, and I checked. Yep. All six were from Cinema Sound System, the new EP from this Swedish band. So, let’s skip the fluff like Spotify did. This EP is a five-star listen.
Actually, no. Six stars.
Honestly, I’d add a thousand stars if I could!

Clearly, this is a band I already love. So, there’s really not much more to say. This is a biased review! But if you’re curious, read on and even better, watch the video below.

One track was enough. One track and I knew, yep, that was it. This was the exact corner of music I craved. And to find a band of this originality and quality in today’s stream-heavy, solo artist era is rare. Sunnan felt like a revelation.

They call it spaghetti soul. It’s more than a label, it’s a fully realised aesthetic. I’ve already written plenty about their signature touches: the dusty western whistles, the echoing guitar licks, the phrasings that sound like Ennio Morricone dipped in soul juice. But it’s the way they do it that seals it. Their red-toned visuals, their vintage-cool image, their consistent sonic palette — it all clicks into place like a Sergio Leone scene. But this is all good. No bad. No Ugly.

The EP includes Sunshine, Cannot Get Enough, Feel, Can’t Find Love, The Sound (Make It Come Back) feat.Tityo, and Tranan. I won’t break them down track by track. You don’t need that. You just need to press play.

Although every track is a favourite, I suggest you start with Feel. As the song choir says ‘feel something’, because you will. Your soul will feel lifted and nourished.

You’ll feel at home here if you’re a Khruangbin fan. Sunnan share that same laid-back and transportive energy. They don’t lean as heavily on guitar leads, but the melodies still carry you somewhere cinematic, somewhere sun-baked and deeply felt.

While Indie bands often try to look cool, Sunnan simply are. And in nearly 15 years of covering Scandinavian soul, I’d place them alongside Little Dragon, Dina Ögon and The Magnolia as the genre’s top Swedish bands. Yes, they are that good. That timeless.

No fillers. Just six carefully crafted tracks that sit together like a short film reel of dusty love stories and late-night soul. But if you visual evidence, hit play on the video for Cannot Get Enough below. It’s five minutes of musical and visual style that’s impossible to ignore.
I mean, damn.
This band.
They are beyond cool.
It’s a band you wish you played in.
It’s a band I wish I played in!

You can almost picture them on a 70s tour bus, playing late sets in roadside bars where everyone goes from loud conversation to silently holding their beers instead, fixated by their sound. The Swedish music industry should be shouting their name from the rooftops. Sunnan aren’t just one of the most exciting bands in Swedish soul. They are, in my opinion, already one of Sweden’s greats.

Let’s not wait ten years and realise what we have. Let’s celebrate Sunnan now. Share their music. And if it drops on vinyl — grab it like falling gold. If they’re performing near you — be there! This is what Scandinavian Soul is all about. This is why this website exists. Sunnan have just written themselves into Scandinavian soul history.

Oh, and if you haven’t heard the timeless My Love For You, find it. That track alone still has my praise floating high in the clouds.