Song 29 // Turnstile - "UNDERWATER BOI"
Fallen by the wayside
Never on the timeline
I just need to know I'm
Working for the big prize
I first saw Turnstile when they opened for Defeater and Basement back in San Fransisco. It was a stacked line up and the energy in the room reflected it.
I didn’t know too much about the hardcore band from Maryland but things changed quickly once they took the stage. Within seconds, everyone came together in a glorious display of hardcore antics. Bodies moshed, circle pits formed, and security was bombarded with a constant stream of stage divers.
Everything succumbed to a notorious and anarchic harmony—fast rhythmic drums, powerful guitars, and pounding basslines. It was only a matter of time until I found myself in the middle of the pit entranced by their chaotic sound and ability to command a sold out show.
When I get to heaven will I know?
Since that show in 2016, Turnstile has released several albums and EPs. But the song I’m featuring is off their latest album GLOW ON. The album as a whole is an essential listen and an instant best of the year contender. The band has rightfully deserved the recognition its earned and their placement on several “best of” year end lists.
To me, most importantly, it’s an album that truly makes me excited to listen to punk and hardcore music again. An album that reinvigorates the fire and pushes the bar of what punk can be. Maybe more so than any other genre, punk music is equivalent to the most volatile chemical reaction. It’s fast, aggressive, and demands your attention. A cathartic explosion of pent up energy, emotion, and rage.
And with all that, Turnstile have successfully bended the notions of punk music and infused elements of other genres to create a hardcore album that highlights the best of the genre while pushing the boundaries of experimentalism.
Boi has got a long way to go (underwater)
Swimming through the seasons of cold (underwater)
Living with a pain he don't know (underwater)
Boi has got a long way
The song, “UNDERWATER BOI”, from their new album is a superb example of this point. At its core it sounds like a deconstructed hardcore song that highlights all the bands’ strengths as they come in, one component at a time. As the title suggests, the song starts off with a progression of guitar chords that sound submerged in water before drums provide a steady anchor. Then like the beacon of light from a lighthouse, a bassline guides us through the rocky waters.
Ride alone beside me
Here but gone tomorrow
No goodbyes, I'm always here but gone
“UNDERWATER BOI” and the rest of the album shows off the growth Turnstile have taken over the years and their place within the hardcore scene.
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