The Virginia-based outfit got their start on the softer end of pop punk on their debut album Magnolia, but that was nearly 10 years ago; they’ve dabbled in everything from melancholic indie to upbeat alt rock on the way to their latest record, Myself in the Way. It is only fitting that thematically, Myself in the Way is an introspective journey down the rabbit hole. After all, this is their first post-pandemic body of work, and surely being off the road has left the four-piece plenty of time to reflect on life itself and flip the metaphorical box inside out.
Myself in the Way opens with “Stone Station,” which teases a sound and feel similar to that of past records, but with an added flair of '80s inspired ethereal synths, to the point of almost sounding like a piece of the Stranger Things soundtrack. Suddenly, the floor falls out from underneath and you’re falling into “Tears of Change” - a smooth and psychedelic chronicle of growing pains, existential fears, and happy futures seeming “out of focus and far away.”
The record’s title track lands somewhere between psychedelic and post-disco, featuring Brendan Yates of Turnstile. Once again, frontman Austin Getz searches himself for answers in the face of major life decisions, and struggles to face a fear of committing to one life path with another person. “Wait Too Long” follows with the consequences of dragging your feet to be there for people and instead getting caught in the cycle of merely going through the motions.
Getz details fear of missing out and feeling separate from the people you’re close to in “People That We Know”. In reality, it’s not as simple as hopping on a red eye from Oakland to go out with your friends across the country. “Mountains Made of Clouds” follows with the more melancholic aspect of a goodbye and that powerless and free-floating feeling that comes with it.
This is Turnover’s first record with artist features, and in addition to Yates on “Myself in the Way,” Bre Morell (vocalist for Temple of Angels) features on “Ain’t Love Heavy.” Myself in the Way takes an optimistic approach on “Pleasures Galore,” and “Fantasy” flirts with the possibility of taking the next step in a relationship, while “Queen in the River” shows restraint and concern for falling in love. “Bored of God / Orlando” wraps the record in a neat bow, taking the listener back within Getz’s mind, detailing anxiety of getting lost within oneself and wasting time in the outside world.
