LIKE AN ASPEN | VINYL RECORD (LP)

The Reds, Pinks & Purples, Acknowledge Kindness expands The Reds, Pinks And Purples' distinctive brand of emotional pop, music built for the quiet hours and the restless mind. Evolving naturally from the heavier, melancholic indie rock of previous releases, the mood here feels more exposed and reflective, blossoming into lush dreamscapes that recall the bittersweet sorrow of The Cure or the tenderly gloomy transcendence of California by American Music Club. Created from a new headspace, the album finds Glenn Donaldson observing both the present and the weight of what came before it. Songs lean into a deeper sense of nostalgia, allowing him to look back with intent and revisit moments that once carried a sting. Donaldson comments: "This album is probably about learning to live with your ghosts and trying to be alive in the present. There's a certain kind of big sounding record I aspire to make, like California by American Music Club or 16-Lover's Lane by The Go-Betweens, works that steer into the pain but become a transportational device for the listener." Donaldson's vocals are captured in high fidelity, raw and immediate, with lyrical abstraction underpinned by chiming acoustic guitars and achingly beautiful piano. 'New Leaf' teases with a perpetual guitar line plucking at the heartstrings while a sub-melody cushions Donaldson's musings. 'Heaven of Love' tackles cynicism with positive energy as it tumbles into a glorious chorus, while the guitars on 'Worthy of Love' chime dutifully as it dispels heavy memories and heads for a better place. Two plush instrumentals, the winsome 'Blue Heron Lake' and the symphonic title track, sound like Eno post Roxy pre ambient or Felt without words. Having written more than 200 songs and released nine albums in just six years, Glenn Donaldson has shaped a distinctive songwriting world rooted in emotional clarity and romanticised wonder.