Album Review: “Burnout Days” by Flipturn
"Burnout Days" by Flipturn
“Burnout Days” is Flipturn at their best — instrument-forward sound that hits you like a punch in the chest as much as it wraps you in a warm hug. The Fernandina Beach, Florida-based band’s sophomore album delivers a meticulously crafted tracklist that solidifies their place as a must-watch indie-rock band on the rise. “Burnout Days” strikes the perfect balance between upbeat and chill songs, none of which are any less emotionally resonant than another. The vibe is reminiscent of many of the band’s most well-known songs, like “August” from their 2018 EP “Citrona,” without losing sight of their distinct identity and leaning into the “rock” side of indie-rock with a little extra angst in songs like “Right?”. With “Burnout Days,” Flipturn not only refines their signature sound but proves once again that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the indie-rock scene.
Flipturn by Pooneh Ghana for Ohana 2024
If you like the groove of songs like “Kilby Girl” by The Backseat Lovers, the genre-bending relatability of “How Much is Weed?” by Dominic Fike, or the driving rhythm of “The Adults Are Talking” by The Strokes, “Burnout Days” is bound to be your next obsession.
With three songs from the album previously released in 2024, “Burnout Days” carries a sense of familiarity — but don’t mistake that for playing it safe. The band continues to push forward, expanding their sound and diving deeper into thematic exploration. For Flipturn, ugly emotions, intergenerational trauma and anger are nothing to shy away from. “Burnout Days” is about recognizing the worst parts of us and finding ways to love ourselves and others all the same.
One of the album’s greatest strengths is its emotional depth and shameless vulnerability, all wrapped in an irresistible, fresh sound that nearly disguises the ache of the lyrics. Flipturn has a way of making heartbreak and raw emotion feel euphoric — melding emotional introspection with infectious melodies and playful sonic landscapes. The cinematic rise and fall of the album mirrors the emotional push and pull of love, longing, and self-discovery. Fast-paced beats and shimmering synths draw the listener into Flipturn’s nostalgic, sun-drenched world with a presence and emotional wholeness that feel borderline tangible. It’s the delicate balance between loving and longing, warmth and melancholy, and past and future that makes “Burnout Days” resonate so deeply.
“Burnout Days” is the sound Flipturn is known and beloved for — compellingly danceable beats with just enough yearning in the lyricism. The album encompasses love in all its complexities, touching on themes from modern relationships to drugs to personal identity, all with an impressive precision and relatability. My personal favorite off the album is “Swim Between Trees,” a masterclass in the art of the subtle love song — the reason I fell in love with the band originally. “Burnout Days” is the epitome of a no-skip album, from a strong opener with the effervescent “Juno,” to cinematic, nostalgic tracks like “Moon Rocks” and “Tides,” closing of course with the album’s titular track “Burnout Days.” It’s the type of album you listen to straight through and have to sit with and think about afterward — that is, before you start it over again.