By Gabrielle Thompson
In May 2015, Turnover released a second studio album that still haunts me to this day. A drastic change from their previous hardcore pop-punk album, Peripheral Vision is more of a “dream pop” or “shoegaze” genre, which evokes a feeling of nostalgia and relaxation.
The 11-track album features music and vocals that have a distant, almost echo-like sound, and lyrics that show the vulnerable side of human emotions, such as depression, insecurity and loneliness. The bassist, Daniel Dempsey, said in an interview with DIY Magazine, “We’ve never been afraid to put anything out. Everyone goes through different issues, big and small. Our songs have helped people get through stuff way bigger than anything we’ve ever dealt with and you never know what your art could do for someone else.”
Most of the songs on “Peripheral Vision” seem to fit together and almost lead into each other. While some might say that the album is too repetitive and unimaginative, the similarities between tracks bring cohesiveness and makes the album flow better. Another technique Turnover uses in the album is starting off the song slow, and then picking up suddenly. This makes an impact and almost commands the attention of the listener.
There are three songs on the album that stick most: “Cutting My Fingers Off,” “New Scream” and “Hello Euphoria.”
The first track of the album, “Cutting My Fingers Off” compares the emotional pain of losing somebody you love to physical pain. The song starts off with the sound of wind and echoing guitar notes, and then adds in the melody of a guitar and vocals. At about a minute, the song picks up. While the music seems upbeat, the lyrics are quite the opposite. Lines like “I never wanted to make you go” and “losing you is like cutting my fingers off” show the darker, more emotional side to the song.
“New Scream” seems to be a song that doesn’t exactly fit with the rest of the album. Unlike many of the songs on the album, “New Scream” focuses more on the use of the bass than anything else. However, “New Scream” still includes the layered, echoing sound when it comes to the guitar and vocals. The lyrics of “New Scream” are very relevant these days, especially for young adults. The lyrics that stand out to me in particular are “Adolescent dreams gave to adult screams / Paranoid that I won’t have all the things they say I need.” This song explains the struggles of growing up and how everything changes in time, even if we don’t want it to.
The fourth song on the album is called “Hello Euphoria.” The song starts off slow with just guitar and vocals. It suddenly picks up at about thirty seconds with bass and drums. It follows this pattern throughout the rest of the song.
“Peripheral Vision” is an album that brings out so many different emotions depending on how you listen to it. The music is upbeat and relaxing at the same time, while the lyrics show the raw human emotion many of us experience on a day-to-day basis. “Peripheral Vision” is an album that can truly be appreciated during long car rides or late nights lying in bed. Turnover did an excellent job transitioning from hardcore, angst-y music to a lighter album that still retains depth. If you’re looking to expand your music taste, this album is a great place to start.
Caption: “Peripheral Vision” by Turnover is filled with the raw, human emotion.
Credit: G. Ducanis
