Turnover brings intimate, dreamy rock to The Sinclair

by Harumi Jang
2019-12-20

Turnover brings intimate, dreamy rock to The Sinclair

Turnover

December 11, 2019 at The Sinclair

Turnover played a sold-out show at the Sinclair on December 11th as part of the tour for their new album Altogether, which was released in November. The tour was supported by Canadian indie-pop group Men I Trust and Brooklyn-based indie artist Renata Zeiguer.

The band, hailing from Virginia Beach, has changed their sound drastically with their last four albums. Starting out as a pop-punk band, Turnover has developed a dreamy, pop-rock sound with this most recent release. The concert started off with “Still in Motion,” the opening song from Altogether. The song’s soft vocals and slow guitar set the tone for a lo-fi jazzy atmosphere. Moving into a groovier rhythm, the band performed “Much After Feeling,” the second song off their new album. This track is about recognizing the sacrifices people have to make to stay connected even with distance between them.

Altogether is an album about change, perspective, and learning to appreciate a moment before it is gone. Austin Getz, the band’s lead singer and songwriter, has attributed the band’s new direction to his newfound love of jazz. Getz said in an interview with Flood Magazine, “The older I get, the more I branch out and the more I consume other types of music, and that stuff starts to show its face a little bit.” One influence that he draws from jazz is its culture of improvisation and freedom. Since Getz has moved to playing the keys for the live shows, he had to teach the new guitar player the parts. Getz mentioned that he liked how he would play it not exactly how it was on the record. “As long as you’re playing in the right key, as long as you’re doing it right, it’s cool.”

Turnover brings intimate, dreamy rock to The Sinclair

Turnover’s intimate performance towards the end of the show. Captured by Harumi Jang

The first half of the show was laid-back and included older songs from the band’s more rock-oriented era, like “New Scream.” These songs had an even softer vibe live than the actual recording.

The Sinclair’s energy was at its peak when the band performed “Take My Head” from their 2015 release Peripheral Vision, which has a punchy fast tempo that got the crowd singing along. According to Turnover’s bassist Danny Dempsey, the track is about how you could be surrounded by happy things, but you still want to be pissed off and sit by yourself.

The next song, “Sending Me Right Back,” featured conga drums and a heavy bassline and was a clear example of the band taking a new direction with their sound.

Turnover then slowed it back down with the song “Pure Devotion” from their 2017 album Good Nature, which is about the feeling of uncertainty about the other person’s commitment or devotion when entering a new relationship.

The rest of the set maintained the relaxed but intimate mood of the room while the crowd swayed to more soft guitar jams about being vulnerable and in love. The band then concluded their set with two upbeat fan favorites from their old albums, “Supernatural” and “Humming.”