Turnstile
Never Enough
Atlantic Records [2025]
“Big rock ambition, DIY soul—Turnstile keeps climbing without looking back.”
Album Overview: Turnstile may have started in Baltimore’s hardcore scene, but by the time Glow On dropped in 2021, they had fully outgrown the genre’s boundaries. That record was a critical breakthrough—Grammy noms, national TV spots, and packed venues followed. Now with Never Enough, they’re pushing even further, embracing a widescreen rock sound that feels both cinematic and personal. The band—still anchored by frontman Brendan Yates and longtime collaborators—crafted this album between Baltimore and Los Angeles, and it shows: there’s grit and sunshine, control and chaos.
Rather than chasing the glow of their previous success, Turnstile reframes their sound with deliberate pacing, tonal shifts, and a more expansive sonic vision. It’s still got teeth, but it also breathes—Never Enough balances confrontational energy with moments of pure introspection. The result is a heady, exploratory ride that marks a new chapter in the band’s evolution.
Musical Style: Never Enough pulls from a deep sonic palette—jagged riffs and pounding drums sit next to glimmering synths and melodic breakdowns. The band blurs the lines between alt-rock, post-punk, and even psych-soul at times. Hardcore roots peek through here and there, but this is unmistakably a rock record—bold, layered, and genre-agnostic. The flow between aggression and ambience gives the album its pulse, even when a few ideas start to repeat.
Evolution of Sound: Compared to Glow On, this album is more spacious, more textured, and less immediate by design. The songs take their time—verses stretch out, choruses drop in unexpectedly, and the instrumentation feels both broader and more refined. There’s a clear shift toward dynamics and mood. If Glow On was about lighting the fuse, Never Enough is about watching the fire dance in slow motion.
Artists with Similar Fire: Think the genre-hopping creativity of late-era Bad Brains, the off-kilter swagger of the Beastie Boys, or the layered intensity of TV on the Radio. There’s also a touch of Title Fight’s emotional punch and Bloc Party’s early urgency. But honestly, Turnstile is building their own lane now—and there’s not much traffic ahead of them.
Pivotal Tracks: The title track “Never Enough” sets the tone right out the gate—tight, focused, and ready to burn. “I Care” slips in with one of the band’s catchiest grooves yet, dialing into an alt-pop current that’s hard to shake. “Dull” is anything but—it slams with rhythmic force and should quickly become a fan favorite. “Seein’ Stars” and “Birds” offer a dreamier, more spacious side of the band, gliding between atmosphere and rhythm with ease. These tracks don’t just build the album—they give it shape.
Lyrical Strength: Yates keeps it sparse but loaded. His lyrics read like fragments from a private journal—short, impactful lines that echo and loop in your head. He’s not out to tell stories; he’s sketching moods, internal conversations, and emotional weather patterns. It’s a subtle strength, and it suits the album’s shifting tones.
Final Groove: Never Enough proves that Turnstile is no longer a hardcore band dipping into other sounds—they’re a big rock band now, and they wear it well. While the album could have trimmed a few moments to tighten its impact, its ambition and execution still shine. It’s a bold, sprawling, sometimes uneven ride, but one that hits more than it misses. Turnstile isn’t just evolving—they’re expanding. And if this record is any indication, they’ve only just scratched the surface of where they’re headed next.
TURNSTILE REVIEW HISTORY
Glow On (2021)
TURNSTILE LINKS
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