Twenty One Pilots - Trench

Twenty One Pilots! Colombus Ohio's own!  Modern Alternative darlings!  Holy shit, I hate these guys.  No like, I've tried.  I've tried so many times over the years.  But ever since their 2009 self-titled debut, I just don't seem to get these guys.  This album was a mish-mash of Electronic, Alternative Rock cliches and two guys trying way too hard to be Eminem.  And no, it wasn't fun to listen to.  I feel like there was part of me who really liked some of the more dramatic moments here, but that's a reach man.  SO much so that I didn't even bother with the next album from Twenty One Pilots.  However, around the time of 2013's "Vessel", I did get curious to see what the guys were up to.  And honestly, the production was much more impressive this time around.  However, the corny lyrics and ridiculously outdated Hip Hop sounds they worked with were just too much.  However, I didn't mind some of the album's bigger singles, like "Migraine" for what they were.  But fuck.  Fuck fuck FUCK.  I guess 2015's "Blurryface" isn't that bad.  I mean, don't get me wrong, when this album is bad it's BAD, like singles "Tear In My Heart" and some of these lyrics are terrible.  Like, there are so many lyrics about "the radio not playing their music", meanwhile I can barely escape hearing these guys on the radio.  But singles like "Stressed Out" and "Ride" as well as deep cuts like "The Judge" are way too catchy for their own good.  Although, you didn't hear that from me.  So uh.  Twenty-One Pilots are back.  And here's something, these singles actually aren't too bad.  Like, there's nothing too out of the box here.  But the duo just sounds so dreary and gloomy and legitimately dark.  I'm actually not too scared to dive deeper.

This album starts off with “Jumpsuit”, and let’s address the obvious.  10 Seconds in or so and this is already miles heavier than anything else they’ve ever done.  There’s this really great, polished Bass groove, and it’s seriously flashy and all.  But it’s surprisingly gritty as well, and I actually really love the very tortured performance of Tyler Joseph. Like, yes, he’s the same dude.  But this is just so damn intense and he sounds so wounded, as he eventually turns his performance into this wailing, aggressive one.  Overall, this is what I’ve wanted them to do for years.  Anyone who's written them off as the poppier side of Alternative Rock should probably listen to this.  And yes, there are poppy moments that are sweet and melodic here.  But I do think this ushers in the album nicely.  “Levitate” is up next which is much less intense instrumentally and has this sort of spacey Hip Hop beat.  Now, as far as this side of Twenty One Pilots goes, I’ve been majorly critical for years.  But here, it actually comes off really confident and so much less corny.  It’s rapid fire and very dark still.  Now, I’m not exactly going to call all my Hip Hop friends and tell them to tune in.  But for Twenty One Pilots, this is hypnotizing, exhilarating and incredibly exciting.  Honestly, this is a great tune.  Then we have “Morph” which on the other hand is much dreamier and hazier, but still very memorable and catchy.  Once again, we get a very slick groove, which is only made even bigger and better by these soulful horns.  Tyler on this hook is absolutely a machine though, a soul machine, but a machine nonetheless.  This one is just so damn catchy, and this verse here once again just come off so confident.  I still probably would be careful if you’re a Hip-Hop purist.  But for Twenty One Pilots, this is a huge upgrade.  And lyrically, this is far from the soulless garbage they’ve been putting out for years, and in its place, we almost get a Psychedelic performance. On the other hand “My Blood” is much more cinematic and tense.  Not to mention, I’m surprised with just how gently vast this instrumental is, being far from straightforward.  Once again, we get some pretty groovy bass licks and some soulful singing on that hook.  This clearly is far from what Twenty One Pilots have done for years, and fans of their early stuff may not be into this at all.  But the heavier instrumentals, better songwriting, and gritty age have me hungry for more.  And with all of these new elements at their disposal, their usual blend of styles comes off so much more interesting.  And even though this is easily my least favorite single from the album, it’s still pretty God Damn good.  Now, “Chlorine” is probably one of the least immediate tracks here, and in a lot of ways is the most classic Twenty One Pilots style track.  It’s certainly got this emotional vibe to it that’s almost depressive.  And honestly, it’s a little disheartening, mostly because they’ve clearly made a lot of strides beyond this.  I still think this is a step up though, mostly because I do like the much more elegant approach to these instrumentals and it still certainly is catchy.  And honestly, this one does get a lot better with the arrival of the later Hip-Hop elements.  

The instant cymbal tapping of “Smithereens” does get me pretty hyped though.  And Tyler’s vocals have just come such a long way from their beginnings that it’s pretty shocking.  This one was a big gamble.  I mean, this could have been so hit or miss, and probably should have been an awkward ballad.  But it ends up coming off incredibly sincere and heartfelt.  Now, this is also easily the most Pop-centered track of the bunch yet, and if you’re not feeling that this may be the worst of the bunch for you.  But I honestly think this could have been much worse.  But I’m certainly ready for some of the bigger and heavier tracks to come back in.  But I’m not going to get that just yet as “Neon Gravestones” is up next.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing though.  This is another dreary, emotional ballad, which this album has in spades.  But I do have to say, so many of these do come off sincere and heartfelt.  Like, this ends up becoming a seriously emotional tune about death.  And once again, I feel like in the past this would have been a snoozer. But with the heavier production and a bunch of very small tweaks, this comes off a whole lot more intense.  But while I don’t mind this at all, I do really want something with some more teeth.  But Twenty One Pilots continue to be a tease with yet another dreamy and dreary tune in the shape of “The Hype”.  Like, I would actually kill for another guitar-heavy tune right about now.  But I would be lying if I said that this wasn’t another incredibly catchy and instantaneous tune outside of that.  Like, vocals this is a very tasteful throwback to some of Alternative Rock’s glory years.  So much so that it’s pretty intoxicating.  I keep feeling like I want this big gritty tune with big guitars.  But tracks like this keep reeling me back in a big way.  This clearly is a back step, but it's a much smaller one than it should have been.  And Tyler’s vocals continue to be shockingly improved.  Now, “Nico And The Niners” intrigues me.  I actually really love the bouncy guitars here and the Hip Hop vibes.  It’s super spacey and is genuinely a great change of pace.  Sure, I may have shit over the bands Hip Hop and “Reggae” material in the past.  But this is a genuinely solid fusion of those genres alongside their Alternative Rock sound.  It’s not like this is some wild new sound or anything.  But Twenty One Pilots are playing it wonderfully.  Sure, some of the auto-tune vocals are maybe a little cheesy.  But I’m willing to let it slide.  And holy shit, as far as a legitimate Rap verse here goes, this is Tyler’s best and most intense performance here.  But there continue to be these very slight but obvious back steps, like “Cut My Lip”.  While the last track pulled off this very dreary, spacey vibe very well, this is just too much for me.  It’s much more sugary and sweet.  But instrumentally, I still have to tip my hat to just how much more in depth this is.  I just wish this one wasn’t so mindless and cheery.  This one has potential, mostly because they’ve raised their game so much.  But this one is a little too Pop-centered for me. 

Twenty One Pilots continue to pull out these very dreary, dreamy tunes with “Bandito”.  But with tracks like this, it’s very clear that Twenty One Pilots still have a ways to go.  This is easily the least interesting track of the bunch.  It’s just so bland and incredibly boring.  And the very dreary vibe for once just does nothing.  But “Pet Cheetah” with its very nocturnal vibes is a major step back in the right direction.  I’m down with some ballads here and there, but this one is back to being so much more confident and punchy.  It’s still very dreamy and dreary, but Tyler is back to sounding like he’s back to pushing forward in a big way.  It’s spacey and trippy, and it might not be the cheeriest track of the bunch.  But it’s just so memorable, and it’s something different from these guys.  And hey, that’s what this album’s been about.  Now, these soulful and funky tracks continue to really catch me off guard.  Because I have to be honest, tracks like “Legend” are just so good.  Between the legitimate funk and the upbeat and groovy instrumental this one comes off catchy.  The guitar strumming is great, the keyboards are slick and the performances are genuinely tear-jerking.  Hell, it even comes off sort of elegant by the end.  It’s a shot out of left field, but it works.  But I don’t know about you.  But I don’t know about you guys, but I’ve had my fair share of dreary ballads and didn’t want to hear one ending off the album.  “Leave The City” is alright.  Twenty One Pilots absolutely sound sincere and all, and as far as vocals go this is overly decent.  But instrumentally this one sounds like it was thrown together so quickly.  So much so, that when those shimmering synths come in it’s genuinely exciting.  This one ends off exciting, I just wish it started off just as punchy. 

Rating: 7.8/10

Give A Listen To: “Jumpsuit”, “Levitate”, “Morph”, “Nico And The Niners”

Least Favorite Track: “Bandito”

Genre: Alternative Rock / Alternative Hip Hop

Overall Thoughts:  Twenty One Pilots return after releasing 4 incredibly bland and directionless albums with their most interesting and gritty album to date.  From a distance, it doesn’t exactly seem like they’ve changed too much.  They still blend Alternative Rock with elements of Reggae, Rap, Pop and Electronic music.  But between some sleeker production, better songwriting, and a gritty, heavy edge that simply wasn’t there before, this is by leaps and bounds there best work to date.  It’s moody and dark, and so much less cheesy than their previous albums.  Obviously, I still think they have a ways to go.  But call me nutty, but I do dig what they’re doing here.