The Town That Cursed Your Name＜限定盤＞

San Francisco songwriter Glenn Donaldsons solo band the Reds, Pinks & Purples has served as vehicle for his tireless and subtly shapeshifting songs. Over the course of numerous albums, EPs, singles, and all other forms of output, TRP&P is reminiscent of Sarah Records-styled jangle pop, reverb-heavy lo-fi, and ethereal pop inspired by early 4AD artists, all filtered through Donaldsons daydreamy melodic style. Fifth album The Town That Cursed Your Name takes a slightly different path than everything that came before it, with fuzzier guitars, snappier performances, and a turn toward the kind of roughed-up pop made by college rock heroes like the Replacements, the Magnetic Fields, or the Go-Betweens. The mix of buzzing guitar tones, amped-up pacing, and non-stop melodic hooks on songs like "Burning Sunflowers" recalls the great moment in indie rock history when Superchunk covered the Magnetic Fields "100,000 Fireflies," turning up the punky energy on an already wonderful tune. Donaldson achieves this level of excitability several times throughout The Town That Cursed Your Name, heading into Dinosaur Jr. territory of melancholic, distorted pop on "Life in the Void" and cruising along speedily on the upbeat title track. Lyrically, the album returns to themes of working musicians trying to survive financially, particularly those musicians and artists based in Donaldsons home of the Bay Area. The bittersweet guitar leads and wistful chords of opening track "Too Late for an Early Grave" reflect the resignation in lyrics examining the beaten-down feeling of trying to make it in the cutthroat music industry. As the album goes on, it becomes harder to discern if Donaldson is just talking about how hard it is to live as a musician, or if hes ruminating on larger pitfalls and difficulties. "Mistakes (Too Many to Name)" is a crushing lament scored by zooming guitar leads, and the feedback-bathed "I Still Owe You Everything" comes on like a happy pop song, but quickly goes into dark imagery and conflicted feelings. Closing track "Break Up the Band" returns to more overt depictions of a struggling life in music, addressing how little streaming services pay artists and how unsustainable independent artistry can be over gentle, echoing piano. The Town That Cursed Your Name is yet another step forward in the rapid and ongoing evolution of the Reds, Pinks & Purples. Donaldsons songwriting is brilliant and intelligent as always, and its wry charm shines through no matter what new direction he takes with his tunes. ~ Fred Thomas