This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s spring editorial intern Jeanny Sánchez Gómez. Find them on Instagram at @jeanny_sanchez. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
Like the album cover, Flipturn’s sophomore album, Burnout Days, punches you in the gut with an introspectiveness that can only come from total exhaustion. Written in a cabin in North Carolina after a grueling year of touring, the album is a manifestation of the intangible feelings of getting lost and finding yourself through your passion and ambition.
It was a blazing year for the Florida-based band between being on the road and making an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. I saw them live at Austin City Limits back in October and was blown away by their energy and knew that they were no longer a band I could keep gatekeeping.
Juno
Opening the album, “Juno” opens on a synth riff that makes you feel like you are being beamed up to another realm. A sound that combines both indie-rock and new-wave nostalgia; it’s new and all too familiar. It’s a smooth ride while switching energies throughout the song and doesn’t stay still, setting the vibes for the rest of the album.
Rodeo Clown
The song opens with a dose of the reality in which the album is set. Much like the rest of the record, it digs into the wounds of burnout and love, trying to justify all the decisions we make in life.
MDMA made me love you more/
It’s all just a chemical feeling/
So don’t take it so personal/
Oh, my love’s still got meaning/
The theme of drug use and its effect on the singer’s emotions and daily life is highlighted in this song and seen in the rest of the album as well. With its catchy chorus and floaty instrumentals, it was an immediate stand-out on the first listen. By the time the song ends, we see that our rodeo clown, is simply trying to escape reality and is putting on a show for those around him, and who can blame him?
Inner Wave
Picking up some energy, “Inner Wave”, sounds a bit similar to songs on past albums, but frontman Dillon Basse’s swooning vocals are what makes the song worth listening to.
Sunlight
One of my favorites on the album, “Sunlight” opens with a riff that has lived in my head rent-free since I heard it. Described on their Instagram as a song about acceptance, family, and “taking pride in the shit we cannot change because ultimately that’s what forces us to grow,” it’s hard to turn away. The fluttering instrumentals mesh well with the storytelling of the song making you feel like you’re getting a glimpse into some painfully subdued moments that make you wonder how to keep going forward.
Moon Rocks
Starting simple, “Moon Rocks” is an ambiance of a song. Like many of the other songs found on the album, as the song progresses we hear Basse’s vocals start to spiral until we hear an explosion come out from him towards the end before slowing down again.
Right?
Nothing sums up having a mid-20s existential crisis like “Right?”.
But the tip of your tongue/
Is so fucking unstable/
Yeah, you second-guess everything/
The second you’re capable/
Trying to find meaning in external validation, and trying to figure out at what cost your sacrifices will finally bring happiness. Will it be worth it in the end? Or are we just burning ourselves out for no reason?
Window
After reaching the midway point of the album, there’s a break from the ethereal drums and punchy instrumentals that we’ve heard so far as the album takes a turn. With a stripped-back accompaniment to Dillon’s crooning voice, we get a moment of appreciation for the introspectiveness that would’ve been lost in the music otherwise. Meeting someone for the first time that will come to mean the world to you, starts at a point where you have to acknowledge how much of yourself you’re ready to share with them and it can be terrifying and thrilling at the same time.
‘Cause I could givе you so much/
I could tell you about the things I’ve done/
Old love and new drugs/
Everything I’m ashamed of/
Who I am and who I was/
Swim Between Trees
Continuing the slower pace, a love note to Basse’s partner, “Swim Between Trees”, is an unexpected serenade. Adoration shines through every line, making it known that this is a love that sees it all and still loves you for all that you are.
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/
My mind’s a river draped with leaves/
And you’re still swimming through the trees/
Songwriting that paints a vivid picture of two people who love each other, is made just that much sweeter by Dillon’s falsetto.
Tides
It is another song that starts slow, before exploding into a supernova of noise, it feels cathartic but fails to keep my attention. Between the pace changes that leave me wanting to do more while also leaving me bored, by the time we reach this point of the album, I start tuning out what will surely be an exciting live performance on tour.
Reason To Pretend
While most of the album has talked about pretending and putting a front, and how that ties into the addictive behaviors, we get opposition. It almost feels like they’re begging for the same behavior back, with lyrics like Did I give you someone to cry about?/ No, you loved me a healthy amount, sounding frustrated.
If It Is
Singing about co-dependency, it’s an eye-opener to toxic behaviors that occur, when you don’t think about your actions too much.
Still, it was surprising/
The lack of self-control/
When love, you looked like lightning/
When you came in too close/
Burnout Days
The last and titular song of the album, “Burnout Days” brings us to a hopeful ending of burnout after traveling through the negativity.
I love you, baby/
Oh, and I’ll love you, baby/
For the rest of your burnout days/
Through all the negativity comes the appreciation for the ones who stay and support you through all the ups and downs and is such a strong way to end the journey that the album takes you on.
Condensed into 43 minutes, Burnout Days summarizes every existential crisis you have when you reach your mid-twenties. The band’s storytelling combined with instrumentals is like a comforting blanket when life becomes too much and you don’t know what to do next. While at times redundant, their sophomore album solidifies their sound and establishes them as a band that will blaze their path to success.
Do you agree with our Burnout Days by Flipturn review? Will you be listening?
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