It’s easy to see why Pinkshift were so happy for their sophomore LP, Earthkeeper, to see the light of day. This record is brimming with hopeful messages, and is paired with an ambitious and dynamic take on what punk music is and can sound like today. An “Earthkeeper” is “a reflection of universal consciousness and a protector of existence,” and the spacey artwork showcases the band’s lofty ambitions on taking their music to the next level. While their Hopeless Records’ debut, that was called Love Me Forever, was a raucous punk rock romp of a good time, Earthkeeper is a direct reaction to the world around this young three-piece band that has a lot on their minds. Singles like the abrasive “Anita Ride” and the punk rock energy found on “Evil Eye” are wisely stacked back to back in the early-going of the album sequencing, while vocalist Ashrita Kumar finds lightning in a bottle in a dynamic vocal performance. Earthkeeper is absolutely packed with heavy political themes, while still remaining true and authentic the band’s core values and spiritual beliefs that there is a bigger power at play.

Music is a powerful tool, and sometimes you can pinpoint the exact moment when a band is poised for big things. I found out about Baltimore punk band, Pinkshift, in a similar way as most of us who visit this site on a frequent basis: by an insightful recommendation. Jason wrote about Pinkshift in a Liner Notes newsletter, and it piqued my interest in this band. Pinkshift does a really great job of combining anthemic punk rock with hardcore elements, paired with the pop sensibilities to add in flavorful hooks into the mix to keep the listener engaged and wanting to hear more from this sonically interesting artist whose music appears to spreading like a wildfire in the music community. Comprised of vocalist Ashrita Kumar, guitarist Paul Vallejo, drummer Myron Houngbedji, and bassist Erich Weinroth, Pinkshift are able to catch lightning in a bottle with the aggressive Love Me Forever that has the same potential for breakout success much like the early days of My Chemical Romance.