The Reds, Pinks, and Purples

“The Town That Cursed Your Name” – Slumberland

With five albums in the last three years, Glenn Donaldson, the man behind The Reds, Pinks, and Purples, has a lot on his mind and he keeps churning out lo-fi twee pop that tears at your heart and handles emotions with wit and a happy, sappy strumming, akin to Magnetic Fields meets The Smiths. The selections on this new album, The Town That Cursed Your Name, are mostly short, sweet, ethereal, and sincere. Only two tracks are over 3 minutes in length, with one of those barely over (3:04). It’s a great album to jumpstart the start of Spring, as its tone sounds more uplifting that previous efforts.

Track 1, “Too Late for An Early Grave,” is laid back, with jangly guitars and whisper-like vocals, creating the kind of atmosphere that The Reds, Pinks, And Purples is known for. Track 4, “Here Comes the Lunar Hand,” is a somber tune (although sometimes for Donaldson, aren’t they all?) – it mixes in some Mazzy Star / Dave Roebuck guitars in what is the lengthiest track, coming in at 4:10. Just digging the sparkler of a track, and title track, “The Town That Cursed Your Name,” as it details the troubles of being a troubadour.

Donaldson is clearly playing with a fuzzier guitar sound on this album – Tracks 7 and 8, are RPP-style shoegaze – and he hits the right noise level to keep it within the RPP sound. Track 3, “Life in the Void,” Is the most rocking I think I’ve heard from him – more upbeat and harder hitting. And, track 5, “Burning Sunflowers,” is a genuine love song that slyly shows sentimentality and emotion. The final track showcases a piano that later includes an organ to give proper ambiance -it’s a shining minimalist scene.
I think this may be their most complete album to date, which is saying something as 2022’s Summer at Land’s End was a brilliant piece of art. I love the diversity of sound overall.

My favorites on here? They are all amazing. I’d probably go 10**, 5**, 8**, 7**, 3*, 1*, and 13*.

– (h)earwitness