Turnstile

Michael Venn, contributor

 

Punk bones, jazz skin

 

As someone who grew up on both punk rock and jazz, Turnstile’s fourth LP, Never Enough, released June 6, 2025, four years after Glow On, feels tailor-made for my ears. The Baltimore band blends the urgency of hardcore with the color and swing jazz lovers crave: think stage diving to John Coltrane licks.

 

The opener “Never Enough” rips in on a whiplash riff before horns ignite the mix. “Dreaming” stacks sax and trumpet in Mingus-style bursts, while the flute on “Sunshower” cools the circle pit with a spiritual-jazz interlude.

​

Drummer Daniel Fang’s grooves are a masterclass, from blast-beats to tasty Stewart Copeland worthy tom flutters and go-go hi-hats on “Light Design.” The polyrhythms feel like private nods to listeners raised on both Minor Threat and Miles Davis.

 

This record also debuts Meg Mills on guitar, joining fellow newcomer Pat McCrory (ex-Angel Du$t). Mills brings her signature chorus-drenched leads that weave around McCrory’s punchy chord work, giving the songs a wider sound spectrum and a fresh melodic polish. Franz Lyons’ bass, meanwhile, locks everything down with rubber-band lines that bounce between the kick drum and the horns, keeping the whole punk-jazz experiment glued together. Brendan Yates' vocals sound more assured than ever, singing hooks with raw urgency, then slipping into tuneful chants that let the guitars, rhythm and brass shine. It's obvious that deep down, he's still a drummer at heart.

 

With hooks that stick and breakdowns that swing, Turnstile still knows how to pull the release valve. The six-minute “Look Out for Me” drifts from riff chaos to a synth-and-cello comedown, while “Ceiling” pivots on crunchy chord drops. Fourteen songs, 45 minutes, zero filler—sequenced like a punk-jazz suite. Blue Note ambience wrapped around circle-pit choruses.

​

If Glow On hinted at future crossover dominance, Never Enough erases the borders. Jazz fans get their fix with modal detours and horns; punk die-hards still score crowd-killer breakdowns. Turnstile proves hardcore can swing, stage dive, and get in the pit

 

9 / 10 – essential for anyone whose shelves run from Bad Brains to John Zorn.