Turnstile - NEVER ENOUGH
By and large, Turnstile may be the most interesting band in the new wave of punk bands that has cropped up. My first encounter with them was through a video someone had sent me - shots of their performance at San Francisco’s Warfield Theatre, as a barrage of teenagers managed to stage dive and crowd surf for nearly the entire duration of their performance. I got to see them for myself in a much larger setting back in 2023, when the band opened for Blink-182 on their (second) reunion tour. I was quite taken aback by their sound - yes, there are cataclysmic, wall-of-sound punk guitars that rip through verse and chorus, but it never stayed in one place too long. There were sections of electronica and soundscapes; some sections sounded like they took more inspiration from The Smiths and David Bowie than they did from the likes of The Dickies and The Vandals.
NEVER ENOUGH is Turnstile’s fourth album, and it is by far their most refined. It builds on the energy of their breakthrough 2021 album GLOW ON, yet it feels so much grander. The songs are sleeker without eliminating any sense of their edge or intrigue. The album’s title track opens with a euphoric soundscape of synthesizers and reverb-heavy vocals from the lead vocalist, Brendan Yates. The synth line builds to a guitar-heavy chorus that could fit right at home on a 2000s-era Blink-182 album. The tempo changes quickly once we enter “SOLE”, the circle pits practically forming themselves in the midst of the double-time verses. By the time we hit “I Care”, we’re practically in The Cure territory as swooping, flanged clean guitars give way to a soaring chorus among the best the band has written thus far. A barrage of trumpets appears in the swinging “DREAMING”.
NEVER ENOUGH is a fascinating study in punk - the whiplash between genres is constant, yet once it goes back into “rock” territory, it never feels foreign or unearned. Every song blends together so well. Most tracks on NEVER ENOUGH begin with some form of a synth line, making the record feel more at home amongst the indie festival scene than at a club like 924 Gilman. Yet, it can do both. The best example of this ability to weave through genres seamlessly comes at the album’s midpoint - Yates vocal lines are at their screamiest on “SUNSHOWER”, a frenetically paced track that would make even the most jaded Warped Tour attendee start moshing, before treading into “LOOK OUT FOR ME”, a song that blends early emo, festival-ready rock, and vibey electronica. Even for jumping so drastically between these genres over the course of nearly seven minutes, it never feels unwanted. “SEEIN’ STARS” is probably the most out-of-left-field track on the album, a post-disco entry that features echo-driven leads from guitarist Pat McCrory.
The vibe shifts immediately on “BIRDS”, the album’s fastest-paced track. I can already see myself trying to avoid stage divers as I sit at my desk and listen to it. Grunge-like tendencies appear on “SLOWDIVE”, “TIME IS HAPPENING” feels like it could fit right at home amongst an Alkaline Trio catalog entry, and the album closer “MAGIC MAN” deconstructs everything we’ve heard to just vocals and synthesizer. It’s a good song to listen to if you’re having a brief existential crisis and want a soundtrack to staring out into the abyss.
Turnstile makes me genuinely excited for the future of the genre. NEVER ENOUGH is a clear case that punk rock and hardcore can indeed evolve, retain their core elements, and still be interesting.
Turnstile
NEVER ENOUGH
Album Release Date: June 5th, 2026
Review by Jared Stossel
