Welcome to CalTimes’s Album of the Week series! We will be reviewing our favorite albums and artists old and new, across all genres. If you have any suggestions, please email us!
Twenty One Pilots stands out as a distinctive band in modern music, fusing rock, pop, hip-hop, and rap with lyrical storytelling. The duo is known for energetic live performances, thought-provoking lyrics, and bridging the gap between mainstream and underground alt-rock.
The Columbus-based band started in 2009 with Tyler Joseph, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih, but after their first album, the lineup as we know was formed: vocalist Joseph and drummer Josh Dun.
After their 2015 album “Blurryface”, the band chose to move away from generic pop hits to a darker, more emotional album as their next release. This resulted in their 2018 album “Trench.”
Their loyal fan base is called the Skeleton Clique, shortened to the Clique for most fans. The band brings comfort to many fans and is an outlet for emotions and stress, as the song lyrics are often brutally honest and relatable.
Much like Taylor Swift, Twenty One Pilots likes to drop clues for fans to decipher, both in music and on their album art and website. Before the release of “Trench”, eagle-eyed Clique fans noticed a link to an outside website hidden on a GIF on the band’s web store. The website contained teasers about the concept of the next album.
“Trench” is considered a concept album because it follows a storyline. The narrative revolves around the fictional city of Dema, governed by antagonists called bishops. Several characters are named including the main protagonists the Banditos and their leader the Torchbearer, representing resistance and the quest for freedom. The lore continues beyond “Trench” and influences the later albums “Scaled And Icy” (2021) and most recently “Clancy” (2024).
While the story intertwined with the album is interesting, the songs themselves are also works of art, with engaging and personal lyrics, amazing drums, and a decent mix between live instruments and computerized recordings.
The album opens with “Jumpsuit,” a grungy guitar-heavy track that also features Dun’s drumming. The song touches on themes of resilience and hope for the protagonists.
The gut-wrenching “Neon Gravestones” is a slow ballad in which Joseph conveys a deeply personal message about stigmas around issues of suicide. The call to action at the end of the song, “Find your grandparents or someone of age / Pay some respects for the path that they paved / To life they were dedicated / Now, that should be celebrated” hits hard for many audiences.
“Smithereens” is an ode to Joseph’s wife, as is common on every album. He writes at least one song about Jenna Joseph, and in later albums writes for his kids as well. “Smithereens” proves Joseph’s loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for his wife, with lyrics like “for you, I’d go step to a dude much bigger than me…for you, I would get beat to smithereens.”
The track “Nico and the Niners” adds to the lore by following the Banditos through their encounter with the Niners, and introduces Nico, the leader of the antagonist group. This song also has one of Joseph’s famous tongue twister stanzas; the complicated lyrics and fast pace make it almost a rap.
“Pet Cheetah” is a fun, upbeat addition to the album. The lyric “My house is the one where the vultures are perched on the roof” also explains the significance of the album cover, a vulture peering out from a yellow background. Yellow often signifies the good guys in the world of Dema, while red symbolizes the antagonists.
The “Chlorine” music video introduces audiences to Ned, a cute little alien creature representing Joseph’s creativity. The track has another tongue-twister rap verse and upbeat melodies to complement the somewhat darker lyrics.
Rating: 8/10
Main attractors: Each song on the album showcases both Tyler Joseph’s lyrical mastery as well as Josh Dun’s phenomenal drumming. While this album is a bit darker and more computerized than earlier releases, it shows that an experimental sound can work out for the band, with Joseph pivoting to new ideas and, overall, a polished project.
Main detractors: The album lore is hard to follow for fans who are unfamiliar with the previous clues. Song themes are a little deep and violent for casual fans, and topics of loss, depression, and suicide are touched on. But, there are enough songs on the album for the Clique to relate to on a personal level, and as an album showcases both Joseph and Dun well.
