This is fine.
Ah Springtime…the time of year when there are so many records coming out that you don’t even know where to begin listening…or at least that’s how we see it here at the ATH. So, why not try and give you a little bit of guidance to find a record that’s perfect for you to enjoy…maybe even an idea of what it sounds like to go along with our guidance?
As avowed fans of The Reds, Pinks and Purples, it’s our joy to encourage you to listen to the opening track from the new LP, Unwishing Well. When I first listened to this one, I was really impressed with Glenn’s vocal work; it still has that softness that makes his craft so charming, but there’s a bit of rawness here too. In a sense, the vocals almost feel pained, like he’s struggling as he narrates a story of humanity’s decline. Don’t get me wrong, you still get those sharp guitar lines throughout, with a bit of oceanic fuzz built into the back half. Offers a different glimpse into what we can expect when Unwishing Well drops on April 12th via Slumberland/Tough Love.
If I were to go full Kafka and build myself a chrysalis, I imagine that the fibers of said cocoon would be made up of the entirety of Glenn Donaldson’s musical catalog, particularly his Reds, Pinks & Purples project. Today, there’s the announcement of a new LP, Unwishing Well; I’m stuck here, drawn to this black hole that I know will crush me, grinning like a madman as it draws me into its depths. Let’s put aside the amazing vocals of Donaldson, because if you haven’t cozied up in that blanket, you’re listening to music wrong. Instead, I really focused on the way the song, whilst gentle, has great movement. It begins with an electronic wash working over a light strum, working with Glenn’s voice to sort of nip at your ears. His vocals get punctuated by the slightest thump in volume of the percussion, and as the tune moves, the gentle wash of atmospherics soaks up a more distorted sound; I love the way there’s a layered vocal on the refrain too as the track near’s its end. Honestly, there’s not a damn finer tune than this one. Unwishing Well is out April 12th via Slumberland/Tough Love Records
A few weeks back, when The Umbrellas dropped the spritely “Three Cheers,” I couldn’t be happier; it was the perfect taste of joyous indiepop to tease what was coming our way. Now, we’ve got the band turning a different note on “Echoes,” offering up a more solemn note, though tightening the band’s grip on pop sensibility. The hook on this one is all about the chorus where the guitars shuffle and the vocals try to play catch up, giving off this shimmering sparkle that overwhelms with emotion. And, just as you settle into the vibe, there’s a little guitar breakdown, opening into the male vocal role, serving as a little aside, but wholly fitting. It all leads to the exuberant bop that closes, with the vocals dancing on the notes and fulfilling all our wishes of joy. Fairweather Friend hits on January 26th via Slumberland/Tough Love.
If you missed the Umbrellas after their stellar debut, you can rejoice today, as the band announce their brand new LP, Fairweather Friend. It’s slated for release next January, but for now, they’ve offered to tease us with this delightful bit of classic indiepop sounds, albeit with a slightly heavier weight to it. The rhythm section feels heavier, perhaps matching the vocal tones, but if you listen to the guitar jangling in there, it almost reminds you of the chorus of a number of Heavenly tracks…not a bad thing. They do take a bit of a momentary respite in the song’s middle to spin some classic pop songs so as to give you a rush from the sugar high, but then just as quickly spin it right back your way. Slumberland Records/Tough Love will drop Fairweather Friend in January
If you’re listening through to the collection of Peel Dream Magazine albums, Pad seems like it’s going to be some sort of plot twist. Sure, the underbelly of this new single certainly has loose ties to the previous releases, but there seems to be something else afoot here. It’s like there’s almost this pastoral nature to it, this sort of approach that feels like its grabbing onto the last bits of nature in our world. I love those minute little breadcrumbs leading me back through the catalog, but the fact that this sounds like an entirely new chapter has me thirsting to hear the track in the context of the whole LP. Pad will drop on October 7th via Slumberland/Tough Love.
With two striking releases on Slumberland, it’s high time Peel Dream Magazine go for the trifecta, and it looks like that’s on the agenda, as the band today announce Pad. That said, those looking for a repeat of early successes will find the sound’s pushing in an entirely different direction. There’s still that faint hint of a synthetic backbone, though it hangs as more of a backdrop on this first single. In exchange, we get something that feels a little bit like our own frolic in a world created by the artist; in a sense, it feels like an adventurous take on a symphony, adding a bit of playfulness to the art. Definitely will be interesting to hear how the rest of the effort shapes up; Pad drops via Slumberland/Tough Love on October 7th.
I haven’t written my Best of 2021 yet, mostly out of laziness. But, you can be sure that one thing that’s going to pop up on it is Uncommon Weather from The Reds, Pinks and Purples. That being said, Glenn Donaldson and company have already turned around and prepared another LP for release in early 2022 (I think that leaves room for another LP at the end of 2022 too!). Today there’s another wonderfully subtle pop tune, such that it will cure whatever ails you today. There’s something about Donaldson’s voice that feels like a parent comforting a child, at least that’s the way I’d like to imagine. The soften vocals and light jangles seemingly point to a brighter horizon, even amidst grim imagery like my favorite line “walking in the rain/hoping it won’t stop.” Just please, prepare to empty your wallet to buy all the Donaldson tunes in 2022. Summer at Land’s End drops at the end of January via Slumberland/Tough Love.
In listening to this new track from Peel Dream Magazine, I keep thinking how it almost feels like multiple songs being carefully placed atop one another, like some brilliant experiment in pop music. At times, you’re drawn to the buzzy guitar swell, especially upon pressing play at first. Then a vocal comes in, almost like a seance chant; it becomes clear that that serves more as another textured layer, with yet another vocal entering the foray as the focal point. To me, it’s brilliant on multiple levels, one being that it’s a success of a tune, let alone one that feels like 3 songs meshed into a single entity. This is a band everyone should be keeping an eye on going into the release of Agitprop Alterna; it’s out on April 3rd via Slumberland/Tough Love.
In the usual melange of trolling for tracks, it’s rare that you click play on a new song and know instantly that you’ve found a real gem. “Decay,”from CYMBALS, is the perfect blend of shoe gaze and dance pop– think Slowdive meets The Radio Dept with a splash of The XX thrown in there. You get the building percussion throughout, but also some string work threaded in, as well as the omnipresent effervescent synths that spiral and transform kaleidoscopically. Plus you get some twangy and distant guitar to put the icing on the cake. Simply put, this track is at once beautiful and danceable and makes me beyond excited to hear what CYMBALS have in store for us on their upcoming record, Light In Your Mind, which will be out August 25th via Tough Love Records. Pre-order it here.
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