Pinkshift — Earthkeepr
Hopless Records
8.5— Burnout into something beautiful
Pinkshift’s second record, Earthkeeper (Hopeless Records, out now), feels like a deep breath after the storm. The Baltimore trio — singer Ashrita Kumar, guitarist Paul Vallejo, and drummer Myron Houngbedji — spent the last two years touring nonstop before retreating to a cabin in Virginia to write. The result is a heavier, more grounded album that finds calm inside the chaos.
Where 2022’s Love Me Forever burned fast with pop-punk adrenaline, Earthkeeper expands in every direction. Opener “Painless” hits like a heartbeat under pressure — fuzzed bass, pounding drums, and vocals that swing between rage and release. Tracks like “Everything Burns” and “Hourglass” lean into grunge textures and wide-open emo melancholy, produced with warmth by Will Yip. It’s music that sounds big but feels intimate — less scene nostalgia, more personal renewal.
The cover — a cosmic hourglass made from a Hubble photo — mirrors the sound: celestial but collapsing, beautiful because it’s impermanent. Pinkshift aren’t chasing radio or viral trends here. They’re building a world where punk catharsis and self-healing can coexist.
Live, that vision comes alive. Kumar commands crowds with unfiltered joy, turning breakdowns into sing-alongs. It’s chaotic, sweaty, communal — the kind of show that reminds you why emo keeps coming back.
Why It Matters
In 2025’s emo revival, Earthkeeper stands out by refusing to recycle. Pinkshift make vulnerability feel loud again — equal parts scream therapy and self-care. They sound older, wiser, but still defiantly alive.
The Earthkeeper Tour
The band’s U.S. tour runs through November with stops in New York (11/8), Chicago (11/12), Austin (11/16), and Los Angeles (11/20) before heading overseas in early 2026.
