The Reds, Pinks and Purples capture the joy of sadness in “Last Summer in a Rented Room”

Opting to entitle the debut album of your new project You Might Be Happy Someday may be slipping a bit too close to a self-fulfilling prophecy for some, but not for singer-songwriter Glenn Donaldson. With a knowing melancholy and a tongue-in-cheek self-awareness, his latest project The Reds, Pinks and Purples captures the juxtaposition of sad introspection with the sunny jangle of so-called “depresso-pop”.

Residing in the pastel abodes of San Francisco’s Richmond area, Donaldson has created many a number in the comfort of his home. Previously a part of Skygreen Leopards and The Art Museums, his latest iteration as The Reds, Pinks and Purples is perhaps his most personal to date.

Striking a breezy sound not dissimilar to The War on Drugs, the driving momentum and bright, new wave-toned riffs of new single “Last Summer in a Rented Room” elevate the soft and understated style of Donaldson’s vocal. There is a comforting familiarity to the atmosphere it brings, as well as a palpable (if not quite as indulgent) affinity to The Smiths. However, there is promise of better days despite all of its ambivalence, and a reassuring feeling that this romantic misanthrope is a hopeful one.