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May 04, 2021 Web Exclusive By Ian King

San Francisco musician Glenn Donaldson’s third album in as many years under the name The Reds, Pinks & Purples solidifies and elevates the set of ideas laid out on his previous You Might Be Happy Someday. Uncommon Weather is breezy but permeating, like those horizontal raindrops that sneak under your umbrella in an otherwise mild mist.

Donaldson’s guitar tone, scratchy and warm and close like an old sweater, encapsulates something about the operating principles of The Reds, Pinks & Purples. The consistent sound of these 13 songs is hewn from an idealized day somewhere in the anorak ’80s. Conscious nostalgia becomes a filter for present situations, and aesthetic limitations allow room for the refinement of modest blissful moments.

Uncommon Weather does not overly romanticize, and proffers a kind of cushioned snark on tracks like the standout “The Biggest Fan” and “I’m Sorry About Your Life.” Elsewhere, “I Hope I Never Fall in Love” and “A Kick in the Face (That’s Life)” pin painful disappointment to catchy upbeat melodies. Song to song the album sails by wistful and familiar, reaching exactly where it sets out to go. (www.theredspinksandpurples.bandcamp.com)

Author rating: 7/10