When the Baltimore group Pinkshift emerged with their 2022 debut album, ‘Love Me Forever,’ they were tarnished with the pop-punk brush. Although if you dug deeper, you’d hear alt-rock, emo, and grunge on it. Nonetheless, its follow-up, ‘Earthkeeper,’ is sure to surprise some. For the most part, they’ve grown as musicians and as songwriters. The trio of vocalist Ashrita Kumar (they/them), guitarist Paul Vallejo (he/him) and drummer Myron Houngbedji (he/him) have somewhat tossed aside what’s expected and delivered a collection of personal songs with musical depth.
From the outset, there is a grittiness as Kumar rages with “fuck your guns and fuck your violence, while we all bleed and you stay silent” on the punk-fueled opener, ‘Love It Here’. It’s followed by ‘Anita Ride’s sturdy groove and desperate screams to escape and “to feel alive”. ‘Evil Eye’ maintains the intensity, anchoring down with (nu-)metal riffs, wrapping themselves around a punchy chorus.
‘Earthkeeper’ is far from the rage-filled journey its opening trio of songs hints at. Take ‘Patience’ for example. Kumar’s gorgeous, clean vocals shine against a rock ballad-esque backdrop. While the pairing of ‘Blood’ and ‘ Spiritseeker’ allows those previous nu-metal tones to return, yet Pinkshift aren’t yearning for nostalgia. On the latter, Kumar sings about how corruption has led to environmental destruction. Backed by Vallejo’s fiery guitar solo, it’s considerably the closest they come to delivering a “radio rock” hit. Whereas, ‘Freefall’ is a zesty throwback to their pop-punk roots, allowing Houngbedji to impress on drums.
As ‘Earthkeeper’ reaches its final run of songs, lyrical elements of loss, gratitude, and self-discovery are put to the forefront. ‘Suspended’ sees the trio venture into atmospheric metal territory, akin to Deftones and Loathe. The risk pays off thanks to Kumar’s smooth, soaring voice. It’s complemented by words of comfort on ‘Reflection’. Its plucky intro segues into a wall of guitars, and another impressive solo from Vallejo. The optimism continues on the album finale, ‘Something More’. Ringing guitars and comforting harmonies are backed by a strong rhythm section, as Kumar sings words of hope.
At times, you wonder if Pinkshift are going through a musical identity crisis. However, beyond the occasional forays into alt-rock, pop-punk, and nu-metal serve the trio well, and aren’t entirely jarring. It’s merely them continuing their natural growth as a band. Likewise, the themes Kumar and company touch upon match this. ‘Earthkeeper’ is pinned down by a narrative that oscillates between raging defiance, spiritual refuge, and socio-political angst. It allows them to be even more ambitious next time around. On this showing, Pinkshift are a band in transition. Besides a few minor issues, their potential continues to grow.
‘Earthkeeper’ by Pinkshift is released on 29th August on Hopeless Records.
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