Turnstile - Time & Space

Drowned In Sound 70

Since their 2010 inception, Baltimore, Maryland's Turnstile have risen to be quite possibly the most hyped hardcore-punk act in at least a decade. To some extent, it's not hard to see why given both older fans of the genre will appreciate their clear odes to the likes of Madball or Bad Brains, while younger fans will mostly just be excited that their generation of "the kids" are still actively continuing this fairly static scene. If one still has the youthful energy required to appreciate it, then Turnstile are a worthy torchbearer.

Their second full-length, Time & Space certainly at least shows the ambition both the band display and clearly many around them are enthusing on them. Produced this time around by Will Yip, who at this point is pretty much the gold-standard ears behind the entire genre (see: Touche Amore, Pianos Become the Teeth, Title Fight etc.), Turnstile's second full-length is easily the most impressive sounding record of their relatively short careers so far, without taking the energy away from their raw power. Meanwhile, Sheer Mag's Tina Halliday makes an appearance on album highlight 'Moon' while elsewhere Diplo (yes, you read that right) "offers added production" on the track 'Right To Be' (whatever the hell that means).

"Progression" has always been a notoriously slow notion when it comes to hardcore punk, and in fact, is often reviled, or in the more recent curious case of its move towards "Shoegaze" happens in trends rather than as some natural progression. Still, there's little denying Turnstile's sheer force, even if it necessarily your average listener's bag. The aforementioned 'Moon' for instance, is a highlight not because of Halliday, but because bassist Franz Lyons gets an opportunity to take the lead and his soulful vocals break up the head-punishing monotony of the record (& band, & genre) reminding one of Corey Glover of Living Colour, a band who, one imagines, are a sneaky influence on Turnstile.

Unfortunately, 'Moon' is Lyons' only contribution as frontman, which isn't to take anything away from the band's actual frontman, Brendan Yates, who is a serviceable focus-point, however, the track does provide quite a pleasant change of pace. No matter, however, as Yates proved his mettle on tracks like opener 'Real Thing' or lead-single 'Generator' where his top-line shimmers above the backing band's mix of playful riffs and groove-indebted basslines.

If there is a major criticism to be lobbed at Time & Space however, is that its one-noted nature will make it difficult for anyone outside of genre fans to want to reach out over and encourage a crossover appeal in the way that, say, Touche Amore have managed. It certainly is an impressive genre album with enough little touches to keep it distinct and interesting - handclaps, little funky music interludes, keys and phased guitar tones, all most certainly the fingerprints of Will Yip - however ultimately, it doesn't quite justify the tremendous amount of hype, not yet at least.

![105432](http://dis.resized.images.s3.amazonaws.com/540x310/105432.jpeg)

Thu Mar 01 16:26:55 GMT 2018

Tiny Mix Tapes 70

Turnstile
Time & Space

[Roadrunner; 2018]

Rating: 3.5/5

“If feeling is what they want (oh yeah) / Then feeling is what they get”

Such is the tip-off for 2015’s Nonstop Feeling, the emblematic full-length debut from Baltimore hardcore outfit Turnstile. A sporty spin on mainstay hardcore gang vocals, the opening chant feels like a team hyping each other up before hitting the court. It’s a spirit of camaraderie that’s refreshingly amongst the group, not just the singer addressing the listener. Give ‘em what they want, and do it right. Make it sincere, earnest, and unique. Unabashedly funky and athletic, Turnstile offer a version of hardcore that owes as much to East Coast hardcore as to early-90s alternative like Living Colour and Rage Against the Machine, showing how the good records from the latter era are in their sweat.

Within Turnstile’s bravado is a genuine search for meaning. It’s a little corny, but it stands out in a genre that currently retains its popularity from pure darkness and vengeance. The doubt on display is addressed straight-on, with little ambiguity. Nonstop Feeling track “Gravity” was all about self-doubt, but there was a soulfulness among the hard-edged punk. Both soul and punk have a history of putting your whole body into the music at risk of looking ridiculous. Turnstile embraces this fully (emphasis here on frontman Brendan Yates’s silly dances and posturing), and Time & Space, their long-awaited followup, takes these elements further, with synths, jazzy breaks, hand claps, and atmospheres that recall post-hardcore like Fear Before and Touché Amoré. Lyrically and instrumentally, they’re not done searching.

Cohesion wins out here. Nonstop Feeling struggled with keeping the balance of caffeinated and chill. Time & Space hits it just right. It’s a tight release, determined to both retain the foundation of their previous sound and branch out into new territory. Proving the jock jams haven’t let up with “Real Thing” — you could fit a chant and a clap over that opening riff, no problem — the song still manages to end on a psychedelic note. But just before you can really groove with it, Yates comes charging back with “Big Smile,” a risky number that delves into Chuck Berry territory and ends on a trippy loop of the song’s namesake. The noodling and uh-huhs on “Generator,” the stoned coos and vocal cracks of “I Don’t Wanna Be Blind,” the arena gusto opening up into single piano key triggers on “High Pressure,” the continuation of their Descendents/Bad Brains worship on ballad “Moon” (with Freaky Franz Lyons sharing vocals with Sheer Mag’s Tina Halladay): it all fits in with the psyched-out album art — a mosh pit pressed against desert sands, with a disco ball overhead. Turnstile clearly aren’t afraid to put conflicting elements together, comfortable with never being comfortable with just being a Hardcore Band.

Time & Space explodes with positive energy, emphasizing the rebuilding of oneself while the band itself builds together as a unit. This is not novel to hardcore, but it’s a bold thing to embrace while the rest of the genre focuses on going fast and hard. Turnstile does these things too, but they know it’s just as hardcore to include Roy Orbison samples. They know how deep the lineage goes. Turnstile, like Trash Talk and Code Orange, have gained prominence by knowing the direction people want rock to go in, embracing all genres, particularly hip-hop. If that scares people in the hardcore scene, then they should think about how to make another Judgment Night soundtrack. For a large segment of the world, nu metal remains a huge influence. Of course, there are a lot of embarrassing components, just as any genre has, but these kids want folks to forget about it and just grab a hold onto a deeper, heavier, groovier feeling. Oh, yeah.

Wed Feb 28 05:23:06 GMT 2018

The Guardian 60

(Roadrunner)

Eight years after singer Brendan Yates and guitarist Brady Ebert started rehearsing in a neighbour’s garage, the Baltimore quintet’s riotous live shows have made them one of the most discussed bands in hardcore. Their second album follows a major label bidding war, after which they opted to go with metal label Roadrunner. This isn’t as strange a decision as it seems, as Turnstile push at the boundaries of their own genre. Their teeth-rattling riffola certainly has its generic moments, but they incorporate everything from post-punk (the angular, grinding Can’t Get Away) to jazzy lounge music (on the misleadingly titled, 47-second-long Disco). Diplo, of all people, contributes production to Right to Be, while the furiously thrashing Big Smile surprisingly morphs into a vintage, chugging Status Quo riff.

Fri Feb 23 09:30:01 GMT 2018

Pitchfork 54

The “experimentation” on Baltimore band’s latest album is hesitant and unfocused. It’s a punishingly familiar collision of yesteryear's crossover rock with textbook hardcore bluster.