Hailing from unsuspecting Norfolk, VA, alternative rock band Turncoat Syndicate is far more than just a cool name. After seven years, the band is back with new representation and a second full-length album, Lost Weekend– and they come back swinging.
Lost Weekend takes no time in delivering its first punch. Opening track “Charmed” serves as a perfect encapsulation of some of the album’s most prominent strengths: powerful guitar riffs, lyrics peppered with equal angst and introspection, and a surprising, ironic coda. The following tracks, “Angels & Devils,” “Burn All Of It Down,” and “Outside World” follow suit, acting as a heavy, fierce depiction of disillusionment and change. Singer Dan Forlines paints a vivid image of his unsettling reality before inviting listeners to (as the third track’s title may suggest) “burn all of it down.” These songs also establish an undeniable likeness, often adopting a sound similar to legendary acts My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy. Here, Turncoat Syndicate’s strength and uniqueness lie in their fresh, topically relevant, and mature point of view. This album does alt-rock in a way that doesn’t make you feel exclusively like you’re back in high school.
After its intense beginning, Lost Weekend takes a slightly more low-key turn. Earnest, dialed-back, and catchy “Sweet Ecstasy” is an undeniable highlight, showcasing incredible cohesivity from the band. The clearness of this track is refreshing against its predecessors without feeling even a little out of place. The juxtaposition presented through this song is thought-provoking, with the initial tracks depicting a yearning for a broader concept of better days, and this track yearning for love to stick around, with similar certainty surrounding the ecstasy that will ensue if it does.
Either way, “Sweet Ecstasy” serves as a natural sonic bridge to “Past Mistakes,” another slower track, this time more upbeat and reminiscent of early-2010s American Authors or Lumineers work. “Falling Forward” picks the pace back up just a bit, with guitarist Will Clarke playing up distortion on a looped guitar riff and an angsty, minor-chord-heavy chorus. The band hits a sweet spot in this middle portion of the record that I found myself wishing they had explored a bit more. Their heavier, more alternative tracks are certainly striking, but there’s something to be said about the ability to convey a similar message through different means. These lighter tracks may not incite anarchy in their tone, but the intelligence and motivation in their craft and lyricism is edifying. Knowing that the band is capable of such duality, it can feel as though there is not enough presented.
Bass-driven “Bender” is aptly named. Drawing back to the intensity of the first several tracks, this song feels like a bender in speed and delivery, with every chorus ending in a scream. “Bender,” “Grand Illusions,” and “Feathers” play off of each other’s strengths in a way reminiscent of the album’s commencement, creating an equally gripping and effective culmination to the album as both a story and as a body of work.
Lost Weekend is a rewarding playthrough– feeling complete and circular without also feeling bloated. Each song stands on its own, and they stand even better as a collective, as does the band: each member feels essential to every track. This synergy gives the overall sound and message of the album a clarity and cleanliness that often determines the affectivity of alternative rock. Lost Weekend knows what it’s doing, what it’s saying, and has pared itself down to the essentials. Turncoat Syndicate has successfully defined the hazy lines between too much, just right, and not enough, and their record is a triumph because of it. One can only hope that with this knowledge, their next album comes within the decade.
Riley Ferver