Turnstile – NEVER ENOUGH

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Release date: June 6th 2025
Label: Roadrunner Records (USA)
Length: 45 minutes

7.5

Turnstile is an American band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2010, best known for reshaping modern hardcore by blending it with melody, groove, and genre-crossing experimentation. Originally rooted in the hardcore punk scene, Turnstile stood out early for their emphasis on positivity, rhythm, and emotional openness, drawing as much from funk, alt-rock, and pop as from traditional hardcore aggression. The band is widely credited with bringing hardcore into mainstream alternative culture without diluting its energy. They’ve appeared at major festivals, crossed into indie and pop audiences, and influenced a new wave of bands unafraid to blur genre boundaries.

Turnstile’s NEVER ENOUGH is the band’s fourth studio LP, produced by frontman Brendan Yates. The record marks a significant step in their evolution: blending hardcore roots with pop, electronic, jazz, and experimental textures while probing deeper emotional and existential themes.

Let’s check out if the band’s famous energy is again here on this new record.

The title track “NEVER ENOUGH” opens with atmospheric synths and layered guitars that bridge hardcore urgency with shoegaze-like ambience — a sonic motif that repeats throughout the album. The production places great emphasis on dynamics: starting spacious and minimal before exploding into distorted riffs and pulsing drum patterns. Lyrically, Brendan’s vocals glide between introspection and anthemic proclamation, setting the emotional frame for the album.

Musically sharper and more traditional in structure than the opener, “SOLE” keeps the energy high with punchy drums and big, catchy guitar lines. The arrangement nods to classic rock sensibilities while retaining Turnstile’s hardcore intensity. Production includes subtle synth textures under the driving rhythm — giving what could have been a straightforward punk song a dimensional richness. The track spins around identity and self-possession — “being the sole version of yourself amid chaos.”

A standout in its pop-melodic leanings, “I CARE” trades hardcore aggression for upbeat hooks and bright synths. The drums and bass interplay here feels almost celebratory, yet the lyrics hint at the paradox of caring too much in a world that often feels indifferent. Vocal tones are giving a very Sting/The Police feeling. The arrangement uses flanged guitars and hand-claps to create a sense of optimism — it almost feels like the band dancing.

With “DREAMING“, horns and shimmering guitars create a surreal soundscape reflecting the song’s title that weave into the band’s typically dense sound. The track’s structure alternates between gritty punk sections and more reflective, melodic hooks. Lyrics grapples with idealism vs. reality — balancing hope and hard truths.

“LIGHT DESIGN” leans into textural experimentation with fragmented synths and fractured rhythms. The arrangement doesn’t unfold traditionally, instead delivering bursts of color and tension. Crisp mixing highlights every shift — the guitars hit hard but never overwhelm the ambience layered beneath. It’s a song about perception and perception shifts — like how light bends and refracts, the narrative rejects a single perspective.

Next track is a fascinating blend of glitchy electronics and distorted punk energy. “DULL” is one of the album’s more experimental moments, bending vocals and looping textures into a kind of controlled chaos. Musically, the track’s stuttering rhythm and warped effects make it compelling and unpredictable.

One of the LP’s two outright hardcore attacks, “SUNSHOWER” starts with blistering velocity before fully blossoming into layered soundscapes complete with Shabaka Hutchings’ flute solo — a bold juxtaposition that’s as beautiful as it is unexpected. The two-part song is about contrast — sunshine and rain, joy and pain.

“LOOK OUT FOR ME” is a sprawling 7-minute track that shifts from classic hardcore into ambient, then into electronic dance territory. The section featuring dialogue from The Wire movie grounds the song in real-world grit before it melts into euphoric textures. Production here is bold, showing Brendan’s command of sonic pacing — it’s again two songs in one, bound by emotional thread. The message: A plea for vulnerability in a world that constantly tells us to guard ourselves.

Shorter and more direct, “CEILING” offers a break in intensity. Its punchy arrangement keeps momentum without overwhelming. The song is less memorable, but that restraint gives the album breathing space acting as a reset song.

“SEEIN’ STARS” is funky, buoyant, and danceable — this track channels influences like “The Police’s “When the World Is Running Down” with its rhythmic guitar quirks and slinky groove. Guest backing vocals add richness when the track tend to be euphoric, fleeting, and a bit surreal.

Back to a hardcore core, “BIRDS” blends kinetic drum work with melodic hooks, capturing the feeling of breaking free. Brendan’s vocal chant : “I found a song playing just for me” — is both literal and metaphorical, pointing toward liberation and creative rebirth. Tight and punchy, this track anchors the album’s emotional momentum before its concluding stretch.

“SLOWDIVE” presents a slower, heavier tempo track that leans into moodiness and reflection. The arrangement is layered — gritty guitars juxtaposed with melodic backdrops — suggesting emotional weight and contemplation. The tracks feels like a thematic pivot toward closure — taking stock of lessons learned.

Breezy and concise, “TIME IS HAPPENING” contrasts the intense preceding moments with a more pop-punk vibe. The production lets hooks ring clear, conveying a message about living in the moment and refusing to let time slip away unnoticed.

Radiant and triumphant, “MAGIC MAN” wraps the album with lush textures and a sense of resolution. It feels like the emotional climax — a return to optimism after catharsis and chaos. Lyrics are about transformation and acceptance — emerging from the album’s thematic journey with new perspective.

NEVER ENOUGH is a richly produced, genre-defiant album that expands Turnstile’s palette without abandoning their punk roots. Its arrangements favor bold juxtapositions — hardcore intensity next to dreamy ambience, jazz instrumentation next to dance-inspired electronic sections — all tied together by Brendan Yates’ emotive vocal and lyrical focus on expectation, identity, and emotional complexity.

Critically acclaimed and ambitious in scope, NEVER ENOUGH shows a band unafraid to evolve while still inviting listeners into the visceral energy they first fell in love with.

The album is ambitious, polished and includes standout tracks like “LOOK OUT FOR ME”. We can see it as a confident, emotionally open record that reinforces the band’s role in pushing alternative music forward. Some negative feedbacks could be expected from fans from the band’s very beginning arguing that the glossy production and genre-blending smooth out the band’s raw edge. Also, the abrupt changes within songs could be considered as disjointed transition. An experimental band’s choice that could makes the record divisive.

Bonus: Do not hesitate to have a look at Turnstile’s NPR Tiny Desk show on YouTube.

Enjoy!

– LIGHT DESIGN
– LOOK OUT FOR ME
– SEEIN’ STARS