Maturation is a disease that afflicts plenty of bands, and quite often causes them to go down the road of mediocre albums and incur change of audience real fast. However if depth is what you’re looking for, you won’t find much of it here I’m afraid. It’s a great little Summer record and would make the perfect soundtrack for warm nights and lazy days alike. Peripheral Vision is certainly a pleasant enough listen, but there’s simply not enough substance here to sustain repeated listens. “Dizzy On The Comedown” sounds like Turnover listened to five minutes of a Beach Fossils album and thought it’d be in their best interests to simply cash in on that groups approach. However, unlike Hyperview, Peripheral Vision sounds much less genuine in its approach and much more like a case of ‘follow-the-leader’. Much like Title Fight’s Hyperview from earlier in the year, Peripheral Vision sounds like an attempt for Turnover to branch their audience out of the pop punk niche, and into a more indie-friendly territory. “Humming” has the kind of descending twinkly riff reminiscent of most of Topshelf Records current roster, whereas the drumming and vocals sound like such a pathetic attempt at aping Real Estate, you begin to wonder whether they simply conducted market research amongst a group of Tumblr users in order to determine which trendy bands to ride the coattails of. Half the time Turnover can’t even decide what audience they’re trying to target. “Dizzy On The Comedown” sounds like a rejected DIIV B-side, while.
Once you’ve heard one track, you’ve probably heard it done better by a multitude of fellow-minded artists. The majority of the tracks on Peripheral Vision belong to the disposable, breathy school of indie pop which seems to have become a cliche in the past few years. “Take My Head” seems like a breath of fresh air after the lazy strumming of the past few tracks, opening with some mild distortion, before sadly descending into the insipid twee balladry of the previous tracks.
Lead singer Austin Getz’s voice is layered in so much syrupy reverb that you’d be forgiven for thinking your headphones are faulty. “New Scream” strums along at a hurried pace, while fluffy guitar chords abound with glee. Opening track “Cutting My Fingers Off” is a catchy little tune, with a swift surf rock beat and some melancholic sounding guitar that sets the mood nicely. For Peripheral Vision however, the band sought it best to ditch the spiky punk for a more subdued and inoffensive breed of light guitar pop.
Turnover’s previous recordings such as their 2011 self-titled EP and 2013’s Magnolia bore a strong pop punk influence and the band had much in common with their peers Citizen and Title Fight. Peripheral Vision solidifies the idea that Turnover is a band with its finger on the pulse of its generation: growing and learning with every release, but never failing to provide a relatable, cathartic experience for anyone listening.Reinvention is the spice of life it seems, if by “reinvention” you mean “abandoning everything that made you unique.” For the Virginia Beach outfit Turnover that seems to be the case on their latest album, Peripheral Vision. Songs like “Hello Euphoria” and “Like Slow Disappearing” highlight the new calmer, more subdued approach to songwriting, matched by Austin Getz’s somber, confessional lyrics that echo throughout songs as if his words were haunting every measure. Working again with Magnolia producer Will Yip (Title Fight, Circa Survive), Turnover’s latest record shows a band maturing to create their best effort: an ethereal, reverb-drenched soundscape blending elements of hazy dream pop and the delicate emo rock of yesteryear. The emotional honesty poured out over a number of anthemic releases has been a proven formula of success for the band, but on their sophomore LP Peripheral Vision, the band treads into deeper water. Virginia Beach’s Turnover has never been a band afraid of telling the truth.
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