TURNOVER - MYSELF IN THE WAY
Turnover has seen a drastic change from the early pop-punk roots, and it’s been a polarizing change for many in the scene. It’s also been an interesting development to see the Virginia Beach group dabble into the realm of pop-punk when they first burst onto the scene to dream-pop in their albums Altogether & Good Nature to now refining their transformation that sees the elements of dream-pop stay for the ride but allow a funkier, disco inspired groove guide the light in their latest release Myself in the Way.
It is an ambitious triumph of the band to mend together their previous work and add more pieces to concoct a groovy and euphoric yet laid back album.
The album itself came to fruition as a post-lockdown product, with members of the band forced to take a step back and explore other interests and experiment on their respective instruments. This is immediately evident as the general vibe of a lot of the songs feels so fresh and so refined with a more laid back style and sharpness to it that carries the band to new heights. One of the first tastes we had of the new album was hearing the single ‘Myself in the Way’ live during their brief US summer tour and getting a glimpse of the disco inspired style they were emulating. With the mirror ball fully in effect and the teaser being dropped shortly after the hype around this release drew more and more intrigue with the direction the band was going. The title track itself was definitely a strong point within the album that captures the effort and the sound they are going for, with a hypnotic bass line and lyrics that capture singer Austin Getz’s feelings about not letting anything get in the way of what he loves.
The album defines itself with the more disco and dance inspired tracks like the title track, ‘Ain’t Love Heavy’, ‘Pressures Galore’ and ‘People That We Know’. It is in ‘People That We Know’ where the band feels it’s most creative, incorporating horns and a retro synth sound to round out the funky bass line and a sax solo to die for that really makes this track stand out. As these songs provided more of a backbone of the album, giving it it’s shape and aesthetic, it was also the more dream-pop inspired songs that really helped round out this record. With tracks like ‘Tears of Change’, ‘Mountains Made of Clouds’ & “Fantasy’ feeling like a good little escape to get lost in with the lucid synth that drove these tracks.
Overall the balance the band was able to find between the funky energetic groove within sections of their songs in tandem with songs that just feel like a calm trip through space.
With the group mentioning that they had taken inspiration from Magical Mystery Tour and Dark Side of the Moon, they have proven to continually evolve into where they are today and provide what might be one of their most creative and strongest endeavors yet. I am fully on board with the direction that they are going with and not only think that it is one of the best they have released, but it’s definitely one of the stronger albums of 2022.
Myself In the Way has distinguished itself with its layers of creativity that keep jumping out at you with each listen and really add to the replayability of this album. After their last album Altogether seemed to have changed the perception of the band, Myself in the Way aims to build on the strengths and take it up a notch with the inspiration and creativity that went through making this album which I really hope more fans are able to connect with because it just works on so many levels.
Alfredo Luna
★★★★★