"Burnout Days" - flipturn Album Review

this healed both my 2010s Tumblr indie heart AND my crash-out college student figuring-out life heart

I have always been a casual listener of flipturn, primarily recognizing them from their infamous shoegaze/bright indie sound developed through their 2022 debut album, “Shadowglow”. After listening to the sophomore album though, I fully expect “Burnout Days” to be on my Spotify Wrapped; dare I say even an early contender for AOTY. While “Shadowglow” is a drug-fueled journey through nostalgia and mindspace, “Burnout Days” is its introspective counterpart, grounding the listener in an almost psychedelic, mental journey through the struggles of the corresponding title, the feeling of burnout.

The record elevated their overall sound tenfold, taking a huge step forward from their previous work and forcing you to witness them reach their full potential, outside of the guaranteed pleasures of crescendos that their first album delivered. Extending beyond their expected capabilities, this piece is surprisingly enchanting. It’s a listen that urges you to sit back and let it engulf you, relaxing on the couch and watching stressful memories melt away. Although the album, primarily within the first listens, can blend together and often feels monotonous, every full run-through expands upon it and grows on you more and more. Each track is executed in a beautiful manner, fully embracing every emotion conveyed through the complex, spacey lyricism. It paints a dreamy landscape, which although not sonically intense, carries a heavy impact through the bright, colorful production and standout passion in the vocals.

I can’t express enough how heavenly the vocals are. Lead singer, Dillon Basse, fully solidifies the emotional significance of the album with his raw talent, accompanied by powerful and vivid lyrics that convey the overall theme seamlessly. There are peak moments throughout the album that are showstopping solely from the passionately charged vocal moments that heighten the overall sound. The control he has over his voice is astounding, utilizing tools such as growls and seamless transitions between his chest and falsetto to add a sonically dynamic effect to what otherwise would be considered a formulaic indie track.

That being said, the vocals were not the only aspect that intensified the production. The composition of the record from front to back was surprising at every turn, with a heavy presence of synth that brings a unique element. It establishes a playful vibe that the rhythmic guitar and lively bass immediately gravitate towards. The percussion as well sits fairly high in the mix, tying together all these layers to form that distinctly mellow, yet energetic feel.

By far my favorite aspect of this album though, as I’ve mentioned repeatedly, is the lyrics. As a freshly 20-year-old college student, burnout is an experience I’m all too familiar with. It plagues everything I do, condescendingly lingering within the back of my mind, threatening to suck the pleasure out of every aspect of my life that I’m passionate about. One of the standout tracks, “Right?” simulates that exact moment of anxiety where everything seems to spiral, and all that hard work you have put in doesn’t mean anything anymore. The transition from the hook into the bridge genuinely perpetuates the closest feeling to a crash-out I’ve ever heard in a song before, conveyed through a reflection that snowballs into a state of shock and repetitive panic:

“And all you’re asking for is just a little more time

To prove some existence

In some existential war, through all the blood and gore

‘Cause people admire persistence

Right? Right? Right? Right?

Right? Right? Right?”

Not to mention, the fervency in which the vocals are delivered forces your attention, creating a sonic climax within the entire record. Overall, this track is the quintessential personification of the concept, “Burnout Days.”

For every peak, a valley soon follows; that moment happens shortly after, during the track “Tides.” Despite the lack of complexity within the lyricism, similar to the aforementioned song, the weight of the emotions constructed by both the vocals and instrumentation solidifies its individual impact on the overarching theme. No matter how simple the concept, the tension that was established throughout “Right?” unfolded during the bridge of this song. It reaches a difficult mental conclusion, altering the perspective of burnout that’s consistent up until this moment. Persuaded by an outside force connecting us to the grander universe, you can’t help but fully accept change for what it is, and the anxiety induced by the uncertainty instantly eases up. It reveals the process of embracing hardships within our lives, making that burnout seem conquerable for once throughout the entire record.

“It’s coming, change is coming fast

The world reacts

And you’re making sense of it all

Sayin’, ‘Is it so bad? Is it your fault?’”

Following these emotionally heightened moments continues the motif of love/romance established in the introductory tracks, which takes the best form in the song “Swim Between Trees.” This is a colorful, and relatively simple track when compared to the rest of the record, however, that does not disqualify it from retaining the same level of quality. The magic behind it lies within its whimsical, almost poetic lyricism.

“We still learn about each other

I know you like to sing

And I’d say I’m more of a hummer

The day I learned your tune I knew

I’d never hum another”

Although a smaller theme, the presence of love and support, which most consistently takes the form of romantic love here, assists immensely in overcoming that dreadful sense of hopelessness. This track reveals the simple nature behind infatuation, while also highlighting the impact a loved one can have during difficult times. This sense is conveyed through domestic themes, further grounding the listener towards the overarching introspective nature.

So, before I continue endlessly ranting about how much I connected emotionally to this record, I conclude by just restating how incredible in all forms this album is, sonically and lyrically. I was a fan of flipturn before, and I will be a diehard one from this moment on.

Overall Rating: 5/5

Favorite Tracks (In Order): Tides, Right?, Moon Rocks

Least Favorite Tracks: Window (I still really like this track, it just poses as a slightly forgettable limbo in between the first and second half)