Last year, we profiled Baltimore's Pinkshift and called them one of 2020's most vital new punk bands, and we included their debut EP in our list of albums we were anticipating in 2021. Today, they've finally released it.
It features their four previous singles ("On Thin Ice," "I'm Gonna Tell My Therapist On You," "Toro," and "Rainwalk") as well as a new studio recording of "Mars," which they released as their first demo in 2019. (And the tracks were all remastered by Will Yip.) The demo version was already great, but the new one is way better. The band sounds tighter, louder, and more furious, and the production is huge. Speaking about "Mars" to the AV Club, singer Ashrita Kumar said:
The lyrics of the song are about the beginnings of something shiny and new. Ironically this was the song that really pulled us together to start this band–it’s full of optimism and hope for a brighter future. It feels fitting to put a spin on our original demo this year for the same message with a touch of angst.
If you haven't heard Pinkshift yet, they kind of sound like a cross between Riot! era Paramore and Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge era My Chemical Romance (both of which they consider influences), but with a fresh, DIY perspective that makes them fit in more with today's indie-punk scene than the mid 2000s mall-punk scene. The whole EP rips, and if you're into melodic punk of any kind, you should definitely not miss this one. Stream it below and pre-order vinyl/CD copies from Bandcamp.
