Review: Turnstile - Nonstop Feeling
By Megan Fair, Copy Chief
[Reaper; 2015]
Rating: 6.5/10
Key Tracks: “Drop,” “Blue By You,” “Fazed Out”
Nonstop Feeling, Turnstile’s first full-length album, is 27 minutes of groovy, driving hardcore that will make you want to toss on a windbreaker, bust open a Hi-C and slam around with your friends in a YMCA rec hall or basement. Careful songwriting, precise and unusual vocal rhythms and killer percussion create a record that is simultaneously heavy, goofy and tons of fun. Even the moments of cheesiness are elevated by the groove, and Turnstile shows immense range over the dozen tunes that comprise Nonstop Feeling.
Turnstile’s varied style on this record shows it can appeal to a wide range of fans. The group has managed to take notes from Backtrack, old school Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine to create a sound that weirdly oozes a ‘90s vibe in its warm production.
Vocalist Brendan Yates (also the drummer of Trapped Under Ice) has a flow to his aggressive vocals that feels very much like Anthony Kiedis and Zack de la Rocha. His voice sits perfectly over every groove, breakdown and melodic chorus that the other dudes in Turnstile lay down.
There’s immense amount of emotion and connection between these musicians and the sound they craft. From the sound byte that kicks off Nonstop Feeling, the message is clear: “If feeling is what they want, then feeling is what they get!”
The track “Drop” blisters into existence with a speedy punk beat and Yates shouting, “Don’t need the future, don’t the need past.” This song features Daniel Fang performing a drum fill at the beginning that needs to be rewound several times to be fully comprehended. I seriously cannot get enough of this drum fill. The sheer bouncing aggression of “Drop,” with its headbang inducing force and precise but simple rhythms fuel a fire that makes the listener wish that it lasted more than the one minute and 37 seconds it occupies.
“Blue By You,” a song that vaguely sounds like 311, drops the harsh vocals entirely for Yates, using his pretty good singing voice to croon a fun and fast banger about loneliness. Its memorable hook will dig itself into the back of your brain for days, and you’ll find yourself humming the melody as you get dressed or shower before a long day of wandering around in the winter snow.
Get your sneakers ready, because “Fazed Out” will induce some mighty calorie-burning two-stepping and a major pit workout. The slower, sludged out and distorted breakdown at the end is the perfect finale for the rage-tapped song and its goofy (but kinda righteous) guitar solo.
Certainly, this record is not for everyone. If you aren’t used to listening to hardcore, it’s a safe introductory album, but it may not tickle every Top 40 fan’s pickle. It’s cheesy, which might lose some appeal amongst young white males who take themselves entirely too seriously for their own good. The album is youthful, which is okay for a first full-length, but it certainly gives them some room to grow on Turnstile’s next full-length effort. So long as the group maintains that delightful groove and boundless energy, the fans that matter will stick by them. Besides, Nonstop Feeling sounds like it would be a the perfect soundtrack to a ridiculous skateboard-focused teen drama, and what’s more fun than that?
