Turnstile Reaches New Heights And Horizons On ‘NEVER ENOUGH’

Baltimore’s own alternative hardcore juggernauts Turnstile have returned with their fourth full-length record, with ‘NEVER ENOUGH’. This marks their first release since 2021’s breakthrough hit record, with ‘GLOW ON’. This album dives into a lot of what made that record special, but further expanding and growing their sound in ways that feels even more groundbreaking for the genre into even more mainstream territory.

The record opens up with the first single, and the title track of the album. It really does feel like it picks up where the last record left off, as the keys at the start give off such ethereal vibes. The melodies and lyrics will get stuck in your head throughout the next year or two. I just appreciate how this song really feels like the cover of the record, with that shade of blue and everything with a rainbow faintly in the background.

It goes into the next song pretty seamlessly, with “SOLE”. It starts off with a riff that goes absolutely crazy, and I love how punchy the production and guitar tone sounds here and throughout the record. The chorus feels anthemic and with a melody that a crowd can sing forever. It’s one that’s for sure to go over well in future live sets, especially with the breakdown at the end going nuts. And I love the synth doing the big melody of the chorus during the bridge, it’s an easy standout from the album.

We shift toward a more alternative pop-rock vibe with “I CARE”. This has maybe the best melodies on the entire record, and it’s just a pleasant track to listen to with all of its little details incorporated. The guitars shine here, and guitarists Pat McCory and Meg Mills do a great job of having the range here. This band does such a great job of incorporating their sound into newer territory like this.

We follow up with even more riffs, with “DREAMING”. I appreciate here that the tempo feels consistent and catchy in its own right. The horns incorporated here are beautiful and placed wonderfully in this track. I feel like this record and the last make it seem that Turnstile are gonna be the next huge rock band.

We get a more chill type of song following up, with “LIGHT DESIGN”. The synth here works magnificently, as it feels like a synth wave type of track. It makes it feel so floaty and vibey, a welcome sort of feeling. I should note that I went to see the movie accompanying this record and every video makes it feel like this album is a true experience. Getting lost in the songs and visuals backing them up was something special.

We amp the energy back up with “DULL”, and it feels right at home with its placement on the record. I love the contrast of the verses led by a metronome type beat, followed by maybe the best riff on the entire album. It’s such an explosive and effective punch that’s in this song, it deserves the shoutout.

The energy doesn’t stop, as it’s followed up by a fast-paced song in “SUNSHOWER”. I can already feel the circle pits and the tired knees this song is gonna cause. The drums here are performed relentlessly by drummer Daniel Fang. It’s such a wild and energetic song, and it feels positive throughout in its delivery. “This is where I want to be, where I can’t feel a fucking thing” is a lyric that stands out immediately and captures the vibe of this band and record perfectly. The outro is gorgeous too, as it feels meditative with the flute.

We get to the fourth single, and what feels like the magnum opus of this record to me in “LOOK OUT FOR ME”. I feel like the music video of this song captures the vibe to a t. Huge riffs feeling like pure adrenaline, and a bridge and outro that feels like you’re ascending with pure euphoria. The aura here feels absolutely unmatched, that other bands would kill to have energy like this. It feels like every aspect of Turnstile feels represented in this song beautifully. I also appreciate the quote from ‘The Wire’ feeling right at home in the vibe of the track, and into an outro so mesmerizing that I recommend people go watch the video for this to understand.

We follow up with a good little interlude in “CEILING”, with a vocal effect on vocalist Brendan Yates’ voice that feels fitting for this. It transitions so nicely into the next track and second single, “SEEIN’ STARS”. This song’s one I didn’t vibe with at first when it was released as a single, but now I’m won over by listening to the album and where it fits. Brendan’s vocals shine bright here, just like a diamond and they don’t stop. The song gives off such 80’s vibes, like you’re dancing to this under a disco ball. The bass by bassist Franz Lyons really gives the song such personality as well.

It’s nice to have this song be as dance-y and chill, before jumping into the next track in “BIRDS”. This was accompanied as the third single with the previous track, and it makes sense as it’s two different sides of this band. I love the slight buildup with the cowbell by Fang, before descending into pure chaos. This truly feels like this band doing what they’ve been doing for 15 years, but so incredibly well and the best in hardcore. It reminds me of “T.L.C.” off the last record, and it’s surely to be a fan favorite as well.

We’re on the home stretch of this experience of a record, starting with “SLOWDIVE”. Between this and “LOOK OUT FOR ME”, these two feel like THE songs of the record with how impressive and well constructed and delivered they are. This track reminds me of when I heard “BLACKOUT” from them for the first time. I can see this being that big song for them and one that fans could latch onto as well. It just feels game changing in that sense and Turnstile really own this type of sound, to where no one does it like them. And it ends on such a high note, with that killer riff one last time.

We’re followed up with a more upbeat sounding penultimate track, with “TIME IS HAPPENING”. It just gives off such sunny vibes in its instrumentals for some reason. And I just love how the guitar follows the melodies of the vocals, I’m a sucker for that. This final three-track run feels like a pretty nice send off for the record, as it transitions into the final track one last time with “MAGIC MAN”. It marks as a chill and fitting closer to this beautiful experience of a record. I love how the keys throughout feel like they’re playing the environment of the song and it’s guiding us out of this album. And of course, Brendan’s vocals shine one last time and deliver once again with such ease and passion.

All in all, ‘NEVER ENOUGH’ makes for an incredibly worthy follow up to a game changer of a record in Turnstile’s discography. And it’s sure to send them further into the mainstream, cementing them as the face of modern rock bands. And it’s well deserved, as this record reaches new heights and expand their horizons to show that they can go anywhere from here.