Courtesy of Dualtone Records

February 4, 2025

Flipturn’s ‘Burnout Days’ is Peak Escapism

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This is my 15th winter in Ithaca, so I can say with confidence that it never gets any less miserable. The snow has created a muted and emotionless world. I am too aware of the air stinging my ears, and invisible ice threatens to upend me at every step. I don’t hate winter, but it weighs me down. The memories of a million Ithaca snowstorms are a lot to carry around, and in the summer, I am able to shed them like I shed my winter coat. But when winter comes around again and I don my heavy parka, it’s like I never took it off. It’s a relatable feeling, even for non-townies, and I’m sure we all have been employing methods of escapism after some of the coldest, dreariest winter days to date. Luckily, our silent pleas for sunlight were heard and answered by a small indie band from Florida. Flipturn’s new album Burnout Days is summer on a soundwave, arriving just in time to torch your winter angst with burning nostalgia. 

Flipturn is a relatively young band, with Burnout Days being their second album release, and they definitely bring a fresh sound to the alternative music scene. My first favorite of theirs was “August,” which was released on the 2018 EP Citrona. As is the case with their subsequent releases, this EP draws influence from the New Wave music era while still exemplifying a very modern rock feel. Burnout Days continues this trend while being, according to Flipturn’s band webpage, “the most collaborative and cathartic release” of their career to date. Every musical choice on the album is intentional in order to create “an immersive world,” as described by synth player Mitch Fountain. The product of their labor is 12 tracks of impressive sound engineering and masterful lyrics that combine to create something truly unique. 

As a teaser for the main event, Flipturn released its EP Sunlight last November. Three tracks, “Sunlight,” “Rodeo Clown” and “Juno,” embody the aimless feeling of a hot summer day. Just looking at these three, the meticulous detail that was poured into each song is apparent. The album starts off strong with eclectic synth beats that pulsate throughout “Juno.” The opening riff of the track was accidentally born when Fountain dropped his keyboard and the collision created the unique rhythmic stutter. The next track, “Rodeo Clown,” begins with an ethereal soundscape that is quickly punctuated by an addicting baseline. In an Instagram post, the band remembered “Rodeo Clown” having “sort of a floating feeling to it” when they started working on it in July. From this vibe, a story grew about warping one’s own reality through synthetic substances. Escapism, aimlessness and intoxication are present themes throughout the album, conjuring imagery of an indie studio film about teenagers spending one last summer in their small town before the inevitable move to college. Since Flipturn began when the members were still seniors in high school, it makes sense that their music eludes perpetual nostalgia for this era in our lives. The vocals of lead singer Dillon Basse add dreamy depth to the track “Inner Wave,” a carefree splash of surf-rock to complement some of the more angsty numbers such as “Right?” or “Window.” The titular track “Burnout Days” is an ode to the transition into adulthood, coming to terms with change and heartbreak but still desperately trying to make your last minutes together last forever. 

There’s a reason that Flipturn’s whole discography screams summer. Hailing from Jacksonville, Florida, their sound is steeped in the Southern climate. The band infused Burnout Days with the desert landscape of their Texas recording studio, so much so that I can be trudging through the Ithaca snow and still feel the scorching sun. In the absence of physical warmth, I am grateful this album has given me some spiritual Vitamin D. Ironically, Burnout Days is a gift that may help us all avoid the inevitable burnout days of Cornell’s spring semester, and I implore you to use it generously.

Maya Blanchard is a junior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at [email protected].