Album Review: Twenty One Pilots’ “Blurryface”
Written by Coog Radio on May 21, 2015
Steadily rising in the mainstream, Twenty One Pilots just released their 4th album a day earlier than planned, on May 18th, 2015. I think I can speak for most fans when I say the wait has been almost unbearable…but it’s finally over!
Blurryface consists of 14 songs, 5 of which were released before the album. “Fairly Local,” “Stressed Out,” “Tear in My Heart,” “Lane Boy,” and “Ride” left me amazed by the band’s sheer talent and their clever ability to make crazy good music. The name “Blurryface” has a symbolic back story, Tyler Joseph, one part of the duo, came up with the character as a representation of the insecurity not only in himself, but in all of us. He wears black paint on his neck and hands to represent Blurryface and to help get himself into character, which you can see in the music video for one of their singles: “Stressed Out”.
After being blown away by Vessel, their first album released on Fueled By Ramen, I wasn’t sure if their next album could live up to my expectations. I definitely think Blurryface was worth every penny but as of now, I don’t quite think it surpasses Vessel. This could change after I get more listens in, though. The album is a continuation of their unique “schizo-pop” style of music, using a mix of vocals, piano, keyboard, drums, and occasionally ukulele to create the incredible beats. This album, although progressively different from Vessel, is still uniquely identifiable as the duo of Tyler Joseph and Joshua Dun. Their experimentation on-stage and in the studio can seem insane at times but somehow it works. They are unafraid to be themselves and say what needs to be said and it translates into some seriously good music.
The track listing is as follows:
My personal favorites are:
• “Stressed Out”–This song came out right around finals time and it perfectly related to what we were all going through. However, listening to it nonstop and jamming out in my room probably wasn’t the best way to study.
• “Lane Boy”–This song creatively explores the pressure of being an artist and creating music while preserving your integrity and attempting not to be labelled a sell-out. The beat is insanely catchy and that combined with the message make it one of my top favorites.
• So I just realized that if I make a list of favorites, I won’t be able to narrow it down to less than 6 or 7, which is half the album. So I’ll let you pick your own favorites. 🙂
This album has a good mix of slow and fast-paced songs. The signature poetic lyricism remains, and the relatability and variability distinguish this album. Overall I give it a 9/10 and I recommend that everyone buy it here or if not, listen to it for free here!
Do you think this album beats their last one? Do you think this was a progression or regression? Let me know in the comments!
By Fatema Sabir
