Turnover
Good Nature
Reviewed by: Lauren Rosier
Turnover’s 2015 sophomore record, Peripheral Vision, was a complete shift from the band’s pop-punk sound on their debut record, Magnolia. The breakthrough transformation on Peripheral was a change that catapulted the band to new heights. Less of a pop-punk record and more a dream pop record (think Wild Nothing), Peripheral paved the way for, perhaps, the three-piece’s (former guitarist Eric Soucy departed the band earlier this year) best album t0-date, Good Vision (Run For Cover Records).
Good Nature is similar to Peripheral Vision in its sound, but features warmer, guitar-driven tracks that focus more on the arrangements than its predecessor. The opening track, “Super Natural”, features melodic guitars that offer a glimpse into the rest of Good Nature.
The track, “Sunshine Type”, shows just how much Turnover’s songs have grown. The sparkling guitars are the foundation of the song and a result of frontman Austin Getz’s desire to pay extra-attention to the arrangements on the album.
On “Butterfly Dream”, Getz sings about his newfound maturity: “Things that I’m using to get through the day/that keep me staring in the wrong direction/if I only ever look one way/then I can miss some things/that I would’ve liked to see”.
Anchored by dreamy, intricate guitars, the track “Curiosity” serves as the song that represents the LP cohesively, where Getz sings “we all have our curiosity/we’re so wide-eyed/it gets hard to look at things from different perspectives/what you think is backwards could be inside out/do you see now”.
The trio recorded the album at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, PA with their longtime producer, Will Yip, and the relaxed nature of the record could be a result of not having a set deadline. Chill guitars lay the foundation for “Pure Devotion”, where Turnover speaks on relationships, commitment, and loyalty: “for now you love me while my face is young and body’s strong/but one tomorrow they won’t be there when tomorrow comes/do you think you’ll love me when the lovin’ hurts/you’re captivated by a beauty that I didn’t earn”.
While a majority of the album is reminiscent of dreamy pop music similar to artists like Wild Nothing, Good Nature marks a point in Turnover’s career where they’ve made huge strides in their musical growth. From a pop-punk band to complete shift with Peripheral Vision, Good Nature expands on that shift, and illustrates how personal maturity can translate into emotional and intelligent musical maturity.
Rating: Bad-Ass
