FLIPTURN SET THE NOVO ABLAZE WITH AN UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT OF INDIE ROCK MAGIC!
Florida's indie-rock quintet flipturn took the stage at the Novo on Friday night, touring in support of their sophomore album ‘Burnout Days’ released this past January. After some exhaustive touring in 2021, which paved the way for such an album title, the band returned refreshed and with the exact existential rush of blood their fans needed. Opening their set with "Juno" and title track "Burnout Days," the audience was immediately thrust into flipturn's signature shimmery nostalgia and slow builds. As an honest poet, Singer Dillon Basse brought that 20-something catharsis to the venue. Lyrically, the melancholy weaves in with a sonic euphoria to cover all the delicate moments of being, making them a perfect soundtrack to a lovelorn summer.
"Sad Disco" brought everyone shouting "Now, what thе fuck is up with my life?" just before the crowd began jumping together. With some hints of psychedelia and a constant bounce-along energy, flipturn serenaded the Novo with the heavy and the levity between youth and adulthood. Bassist Madeline Jarman often smiled at guitarist Tristan Duncan as drummer Devon Vonbalson played with dynamic inventiveness, keeping the songs in motion on a slightly scaled-back kit. This solidly grounded percussion helped the ethereal synth melodies maintain an earthiness to them.
Basse recalled the last couple times they played LA, mentioning the Bellwether and the Moroccan Lounge to some cheers. Many are dancing, kissing, and singing along to every word everywhere you look in the crowd, proving that flipturn's songs are as catchy as young love. The architecture of their sound feels like a much more elegant expanse than the label "indie rock" would suggest. However, the subject matter is still a vulnerable look at simple human experience showing that the struggle is not only real, but it can be beautiful too.
The band performed "Playground" as Basse sang "Honestly, it's alright If you can't be free. Better off with company than nothing." These dark sentiments are forever brightened by Duncan's sparkling guitar and keys by Mitch Fountain, who joyfully concentrated in headphones throughout the set. They closed with "Space Cowboy" from their 2022 release "Shadowglow" and returned for a 3-song encore, satisfying their die-hard fans with older tracks "Churches" and "Chicago", which showed off Basse's Buckley-esque vibrato. Finally they finished the night with the addiction-inspired jangly chant-along "Nickel" as the entire venue yelled "I'm out of my mind!" In these last moments, the band raised the temperature a few degrees as they let loose during Duncan's guitar solo and then finished abruptly to a wave of open arms.
