"Turn" is a song by English indie rock band,
The Wombats
The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards). ...
. It was first released as a single from their fourth studio album, ''
Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
''Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life'' is the fourth major studio album by British rock band The Wombats. The album was released on 9 February 2018. The first single from the album, " Lemon to a Knife Fight", was released on 7 November 2017. Thi ...
'', on 6 December 2017. It followed the release of the album's lead single, "
Lemon to a Knife Fight". The song was well received, and charted on the US
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart. With the album collectively, the song achieved high levels of success for the band.
Background and release
"Turn" is the third track on The Wombats' fourth studio album, ''
Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life
''Beautiful People Will Ruin Your Life'' is the fourth major studio album by British rock band The Wombats. The album was released on 9 February 2018. The first single from the album, " Lemon to a Knife Fight", was released on 7 November 2017. Thi ...
''. The fourth album is more experimental in their sound, departing from a classic punk-rock sound. Frontman of The Wombats,
Matthew Murphy
Matthew Edward Murphy (born 23 July 1984) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Wombats, which he co-founded in 2003. He began a solo career under the name ...
, said that he was pushing for the album to be more "organic and less synth driven", and thus, "Turn" was a mistake that pushed the album into a new direction. The song was written while the band was in New York, and it is about the irritabilities and quirks that one experiences in a relationship, as evidenced by the lyrics, "Maybe it's the crazy I'd miss, maybe it's the bullshit I'd miss".
The song was first released as the second promotional single from the album in late 2017, and then with the album in February 2018. Following that, it was also released as a collaboration with Dagny, and then as a remix with
Ayokay
Alex O'Neill, better known under the stage name Ayokay, is an American record producer, producer and DJ from Grosse Pointe, Michigan.[Spotify
Spotify (; ) is a proprietary Swedish audio streaming and media services provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. It is one of the largest music streaming service providers, with over 456 million monthly active us ...](_blank)
single, alongside a cover of "
Los Ageless
"Los Ageless" is a song by the American musician St. Vincent. It was released on September 6, 2017, through Loma Vista as the second single from her fifth studio album, ''Masseduction''.
Composition
"Los Ageless" is a dance-rock, new wave, and ...
", originally sung by artist
St. Vincent
Saint Vincent may refer to:
People Saints
* Vincent of Saragossa (died 304), a.k.a. Vincent the Deacon, deacon and martyr
* Saint Vincenca, 3rd century Roman martyress, whose relics are in Blato, Croatia
* Vincent, Orontius, and Victor (died 305) ...
. The song was also released on vinyl and CD, alongside download and streaming on music streaming platforms such as Spotify and
Apple Music
Apple Music is a music, audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users select music to stream to their device on-demand, or they can listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the Internet radio stations Apple M ...
.
Influence and style
![The Wombats 2007 (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/The_Wombats_2007_%281%29.jpg)
The song, and album as a whole, features a more laid-back tone, as opposed to their other albums. It features a slow beat, with a heavy emphasis on guitar sounds, and as the lead singer, Matthew Murphy describes it, “probably the most electronic song on the album”. It is also a departing from Matthew Murphy’s usual singing tone, switching instead to more higher pitched riffs. The song also references Canadian rapper,
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals
* A male duck
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name
* Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name
* ...
, with the lyrics:
"They say the best memories are the ones that we forget /like listening to Drake at your best friend's swimming pool/Floating anti-clockwise in a red mushroom."
Matthew Murphy said the name-drop was "autobiographical", stating that he and his wife were listening to Drake and that there was “a lot of imagery from that day which felt good to use for the song." Murphy also added: "I knew when I was writing it that there was something kind of special, that I needed to relax and not try to rush it, which I kind of normally do with a lot songs I get excited about. So I was just like, okay this feels great let's chill out and let's not freak out and we'll slowly pick away at it for a couple of weeks and then yeah that's what happened." He described it as a “beautiful mistake".
Critical reception
The song was well received, both as a single and in relation to its corresponding album. ''Wall of Sound'' called it "one of the highlights of the record."
Atwood Magazine
Atwood Magazine is a digital music magazine that focuses on emerging and established artists from around the world. The magazine was founded in 2012 and is currently run by editor-in-chief Mitch Mosk.
History
Atwood Magazine was founded in 20 ...
said it was the "cornerstone of their music", "a chilling vibrant track that encompasses the indecision of a relationship", with "inspired lyrics, strong vocals and understated production." ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' called it a "gentler, lovelorn ballad, boosted by acoustic strumming and flashes of falsetto from Matthew Murphy." The Edge UK described the song as being on another level, stating that it "reintroduced fans to the band's immersive post-punk guitar and electronic-inspired pop beat. Amnplify wrote that the song "pushes boundaries with of alt-pop innovation with a lush, ultramodern indie soundscape, irrepressible hooks and tragic-comic lyricism belied by a newfound maturity and emotional moving depth."
In mid April 2018, the song was listed as
Annie Mac
Annie Mac (born 18 July 1978), is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP (Annie Mac Presents) ...
's Hottest Record on
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
. It was also featured as the 'Song of the Week' for
RadioBDC
RadioBDC was a commercial alternative rock music internet radio station based in Boston, Massachusetts.
History
Shortly before Phoenix Media/Communications Group sold WFNX to Clear Channel Communications, boston.com hired longtime WFNX staff ...
, Boston for the first week of 2018.
Chart performance
"Turn" peaked at number 36 on the US
Alternative Songs
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks (1988–2009) and Alternative Songs (2009–2020)) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-played ...
chart in April 2018. It was their fourth entry on the chart, alongside "
Jump into the Fog
"Jump Into the Fog" is a song by English rock band The Wombats from their second studio album, ''This Modern Glitch''. The single was released in the UK on 23 January 2011 as a digital download in EP form, including three B-sides: "How I Miss Sa ...
", which peaked at number 16 in 2011, "
Give Me a Try", which peaked at number 19 in 2015, and "
Greek Tragedy
Greek tragedy is a form of theatre from Ancient Greece and Greek inhabited Anatolia. It reached its most significant form in Athens in the 5th century BC, the works of which are sometimes called Attic tragedy.
Greek tragedy is widely believed t ...
", which peaked at number 32, also in 2015.
Weekly charts
Certifications
Music video
The music video for "Turn" was released on 14 April 2018, directed by Brother Willis, who has also directed music videos for artists such as
King Krule
Archy Ivan Marshall (born 24 August 1994), also known by his stage name King Krule, among other names, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, rapper and record producer.
He began recording music in 2010 under the moniker Zoo Kid. The fol ...
,
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
and
Fickle Friends
Fickle Friends are an English indie rock band from Brighton, East Sussex, England. The band formed in 2013, and is made up of Natassja Shiner (vocals, keyboard), Harry Herrington ( bass, backing vocals), Sam Morris ( drums) and Jack Wilson ...
. It features the three band members, with Matthew Murphy headlining, accompanied by spinning visuals, such as disembodied brains, and absurd situations. Willis said of the video, "There's something about the pace of the song (coupled with the title of course) that suggested a constantly spinning visual to me. The lyrics so visually depict specific memories that it seemed like a logical way to show memories floating around inside Murphy's head."
Live performances
The Wombats performed "Turn" during an intimate session in the Sound Lounge at
101WKQX in early February 2018. They also performed it at Paste Studios in New York City in early October 2018, as well as on the
JBTV
''JBTV'' (a.k.a. ''JBTV Music Television'') is a Chicago-area broadcast, weekly 60-minute music television show featuring live in-studio performances, music videos, and music-related interviews from emerging and established musicians. Based in C ...
Music Television stage in late September 2018. In February 2018, they performed an acoustic rendition of the song for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
''. They also performed the song on the morning
Zoe Ball
Zoe Louise Ball (born 23 November 1970) is a British radio and television presenter. She was the first female host of both ''Radio 1 Breakfast'' and ''The Radio 2 Breakfast Show'' for the BBC, and presented the 1990s children's show ''Live & K ...
Show in 2018.
Credits and personnel
The song was produced by
Catherine Marks (who has produced work with other bands such as
Wolf Alice
Wolf Alice are an English rock band from London, England. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo comprising singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, Wolf Alice have also featured bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey since 2012.
Wolf Alice ...
,
The Killers
The Killers are an American rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingd ...
and
Foals
A foal is an equine up to one year old; this term is used mainly for horses, but can be used for donkeys. More specific terms are colt for a male foal and filly for a female foal, and are used until the horse is three or four. When the foal is ...
),
Mark Crew
Mark Crew (born 21 February 1985) is a songwriter, record producer, and mix engineer based in London, known for
his work with Bastille, Rag'n'Bone Man, and the Wombats.
Production and songwriting
Crew produced the albums '' Bad Blood'' (UK #1 ...
(who has produced work with
Bastille
The Bastille (, ) was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. It was sto ...
), and Marius D. Hagen.
*
Matthew Murphy
Matthew Edward Murphy (born 23 July 1984) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of The Wombats, which he co-founded in 2003. He began a solo career under the name ...
– lead vocals, guitars, keyboards, production
* Dan Haggis – drums, percussion, keyboards, guitars, backing vocals
*
Tord Øverland Knudsen
The Wombats are an English indie rock band formed in Liverpool in 2003, consisting of Matthew Murphy (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Tord Øverland Knudsen (bass, backing vocals, keyboards), and Dan Haggis (drums, backing vocals, keyboards). ...
– bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, production
References
{{The Wombats
2017 songs
The Wombats songs