Few surprises are quite as nice as the discovery of a good local band, and The Turnips are about as fine an example as there is.
They’re crafters of rootsy folk rock that can be raucous, gentle and have numerous levels of fun in between. On their recent self-titled album, between the crackly good time and jaunty piano of “Good Love” to light-hearted send-off “Shadowsphere,” the Turnips deliver ten tracks showcasing an ability to dabble in numerous related styles successfully.
That’s not to say the album’s perfect. While most of the songs are at least pleasant, a few seem to trickle by. However, these are made up for by a number of great songs. The raucous, finagling guitar fun of “Wear A Crown” is fast-paced and infectious, a song that’s hard not to love. “Find My Voice” proves to be another fine discovery, strung together with some delicate strumming and the track’s big, brash choruses.
The Turnips prove they can scale it back quite well, too. Chill, mid-album jam “Joy to the Wicked” proves this, but even more so does “Morning Without You.” A surprising late gem, its a disarmingly lovely lullaby that contributes a good amount to both the depth and variety of the album.
“The Turnips” is also an album riddled with soul, sometimes interspersed with a bit of hip-swinging vigor and jazz, such as on the swooning throwback “Love is Just a Song I Sing.” It’s a promising creation with far more hills than valleys, and a good balance of the fun and the halcyon; overall, a quality piece from a band we can likely see every month.