The Record Player And The Damage Done: A Brief Review Of The New Album From The Reds, Pinks & Purples

There's a song on the new album from The Reds, Pinks & Purples called "The Record Player and the Damage Done" and I like to think that the joke's not just in the Neil Young reference, but in the ackowledgement that influences loom large for anyone making indie these days. And while lots of the influences on what shaped the music of Glenn Donaldson might seem obvious, it's his distincive way of stitching them altogether that makes his newest record so wonderful. Uncommon Weather, out on Friday via Slumberland Records, is so good, so finely realized that a listener should be thankful that acts like this still exist.

From the Kilgour-guitar of opener "Don't Ever Pray in the Church on My Street" to the melancholic-yet-hopeful Field Mice-like "The Biggest Fan", the tunes of Donaldson hit at exactly the right pleasure-points in a listener like me. While some of this recalls Felt, and not just the tunes with excellent titles ("I Wouldn't Die for Anyone", "I'm Sorry for Your Life"), lots of this also marries the familiar C86-isms with tropes from the early days of shoegaze in its first iteration, and bits and bobs from disparate bands like The Pearlfishers, The Wild Swans, and The Apartments.

Glenn Donaldson, to his credit, makes most of Uncommon Weather feel wonderfully fresh. "I'm Sorry for Your Life", even with its Lawrence-ish title, has a snap and twang that's faintly reminiscent of early Aztec Camera and mid-period Go-Betweens. The hook here is downtempo but the thing still inspires, and it's that odd mixture of elements and emotions that makes this all so good. "The Record Player and the Damage Done" feels like the kind of thing that Comet Gain could write. It's wry, funny, and wildly melodic. Rather than the arch-pop of a band like The Television Personalities, this sounds almost wonderfully resigned in tone. Donaldson practically moans this one, but the hook behind is a big one and the overall effect is a sort of comic and sad one. It's such a rare thing to hear music like this that a listener has to go back to the heyday of Morrissey for a comparison point. And before anyone mourns that Moz is not writing anything good anymore (and that's he become a racist asshole), have a listen to "Life at Parties", a number Stephen would kill for.

The tone, mood, and vibe all throughout Uncommon Weather are just right. Glenn Donaldson is pilfering from the best bands in your record collection, sure, but he's doing it with enough smarts and cleverness to make the resulting music nearly his own. The Reds, Pinks & Purples touch the mind and heart here, with nearly every cut inspiring respect at how Donaldson's crafted something the equal of his inspirations. That the tunes are uniformly emotive is another plus, as is the fact that they're all fairly catchy and succinct. Uncommon Weather brims with promise, even if Donaldson sings like his world's ending. It worked for Lawrence and here's proof that it can work in America in 2021.

Uncommon Weather is out on Friday via Slumberland Records.

[Photo: Slumberland Records]