Twenty One Pilots – ‘Blurryface’

‘Blurryface’ by Twenty One Pilots, their second signed offering on Fuelled by Ramen and their fourth overall release, is a melting pot of exuberant sound. It is a release that will ring true for many who feel they are just another face in the crowd. Stylistically impossible to put in a box, this pop, rap, rock, dance inspired charm of an album deserves all the plaudits. 

Opening track ‘Heavydirtysoul’ has a sound reminiscent of a liquid drum and bass record, perfectly executed with poignantly rapped lyrics such as “rapping to prove nothing, just writing to say something”. Lyricist Tyler Joseph provides prose that is intelligent and compliments the excellent production evident on this record. 

‘Stressed out’ was released on YouTube a couple of months before the albums release and has already notched up over four million views. The opening bass is incredibly infectious and demands replay after replay. It sticks in your head, the lyrics bouncing around inside for days, urging you to play the track again just to hear the introductory beat. Joseph talks about the concept of nostalgia for times when things were less complicated, “wish we could turn back time, to the good ol’ days, when our momma sang us to sleep but now we’re stressed out”, a sensation and emotion that everyone can relate to, wishing the stresses of life could just dissolve away “out of student loans and tree house homes, we would all take the ladder”. 

‘Tear in my heart’ is the most poppy track on the album and provides a glimpse into a relationship of Joseph’s, “taking him higher” than he’s ever been. His lyrics are really catchy, and incredibly clever “you fell asleep in my car, I drove the whole time, but that’s OK, i’ll just avoid the holes so you sleep fine, I’m driving here, I sit, cursing my government for not using my taxes to fill the holes with more cement”. He offers political rhetoric through a lens that everyone can relate to. 

The other half of Twenty One Pilots, drummer Josh Dun is a superb drummer and lays down some truly phat beats on this album. ‘Lane Boy’ is no exception, the percussion sounding crisp and clean, such as halfway through the track, where a euphoric breakdown will have everyone dancing. 

‘Fairly local’ has a formidable dubstep sound with lyrics to match, a sure crowd pleaser and evidence that it is unquestionably impossible to get bored of this album with such tremendous diversity on offer. 

‘Blurryface’ is an exquisite release. There are some wonderful moments in ‘Stressed out’, ‘Heavydirtysoul’ and ‘Fairly local’ but the album does seem to start much stronger than it ends.  Despite this Twenty One Pilots have created something brave, unique and honest. It is a refreshing semi-mainstream release that will be enjoyed by a myriad of listeners, who will relate both musically and lyrically to a band who are more than just another face in the crowd.

DAVE BULL