Solitude is a practice, and like The Lemon of Pink, it’s a discipline that does not immediately yield tangible results. Emily Dickinson, the patron saint of I’m just gonna stay in tonight, used solitude as a means of survival, where the “soul admitted to itself” would allow for a “finite infinity.” Modern-day dispatches from our moments of solitude are usually not stanzas of Dickinson or Whitman or Rilke, rather they are appeals to whoever will listen. The urge to tweet about how my yoga teacher played like three Smiths songs during Shavasana is staggering. The rush of likes on a selfie from my hike makes the tick bite almost seem worth it. Our effort then is not to be alone but to let others know we were alone. This breaks the character of solitude. To transmit a moment of solitude is to tarnish the ascetic soul. But to let it burrow in and remain private can allow you to learn and unlearn the lessons as dictated only by the self.--Jeremy D. Larson

Read the liner notes

VMP Exclusive Edition Features:

• Lemon-colored vinyl w/ hot pink splatter
• Full-color gatefold, die-cut jacket featuring all new album art with metallic inks and foil stamping
• 16-page full-color, full-sized booklet featuring all new artwork, extensive liner notes written by Nick Zammuto, including track-by-track commentary
• Full album digital download card

Learn more about "The Lemon of Pink"

Read the liner notes

Learn About the Books

New to the band and the album? We've got you.

Read here.

Shooby Taylor: The Artist Who Bonded the Books

The Books played a record together on their first night hanging out together, and it was by this artst.

Read about Shooby here.

Read These Books to Understand the Books

How is one to wrap their mind around an album like The Lemon of Pink? There is only one clear answer: The Books’ Book Club Reading List.

See the list here.