Maryland experimental pop visionary Gabriel Walsh, known under his longtime moniker The Earthly Frames, has always thrived in the space between structure and abstraction. With Vanity Pressing, the violet entry in his ambitious Rainbow Table series, Walsh takes his boldest step yet, crafting a record that’s both inviting and challenging, shimmering with hooks yet rooted in restless experimentation.
Across the album’s layered soundscapes, Walsh explores what he calls “the double-edged nature of solipsism, the tension between depression and aggrandizement.” It’s a fitting theme for a project that constantly walks the line between introspection and spectacle, darkness and light. Mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk, the record balances synthetic textures with organic instrumentation, creating a sonic world that feels as alive as it is otherworldly.
The singles alone hint at the record’s scope. “Gallows Girls” (featuring Busayo Oninla) is retro futuristic pop at its most daring, pulsing with urgency while nodding to Walsh’s experimental roots. “Birthday Effect,” powered by Shirley Kudirka’s ethereal vocals, is lush and immersive, wrapping listeners in layers of sound that feel both meticulously crafted and emotionally raw.
Vocal cameos from Aloysius Fortune, Katherine Koherence, and longtime collaborator Graham Hopkins (on drums) deepen the palette, while Walsh himself continues to prove that accessibility and innovation don’t have to exist in opposition. Instead, Vanity Pressing shows how pop can be expansive, hypnotic, and deeply human.
With Vanity Pressing, The Earthly Frames achieve something rare: an album that feels both like a culmination and a beginning. It’s the most approachable chapter of the Rainbow Table yet, without sacrificing the experimental spark that has defined Walsh’s career. This is violet rendered in sound, mystical, radiant, and entirely unforgettable.
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LISTEN TO – VANITY PRESSING – HERE
