Single Review: twenty one pilots - 'Clancy'

twenty one pilots

Since emerging from relative obscurity in 2009, twenty one pilots have become arguably the biggest band in alternative emo pop. Their status as one of the mainstream’s biggest alternative voices came with the releases of ‘Vessel’ and ‘Blurryface’, both pop blockbusters in their own right. They fully realised their artistic potential on the follow-up ‘Trench’, less so with ‘Scaled and Icy’, but the skeleton clique was very much alive and well.

So, now it’s 2024, and Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn have re-emerged once again with ‘Clancy’, set for release on May 24th. Now, I’m nowhere near big enough of a Twenty One Pilots fan to explain the three-album long lore this record apparently bookends. All I can do is tell you about the music, and try to work out if this LP deserves its hype.

Overcompensate

I want to like this track a fair bit more than I do, but there are a fair few elements about it that really put me off. It seems to unfortunately be one of many tracks that, in an attempt to be dramatic, just piles pointless noise on. Here’s some advice, it’s not dramatic, or dystopian, at least to me, it’s just annoying. It’s a shame too, because the sombre grand piano chords genuinely are, and they sound very alluring, but the flurry of electronics and wailing guitars do it no favours. Believe me, this only gets worse in the rap parts. Josh holds down the fort well enough though, with a super punchy, energetic drum beat keeping the intensity up.

To Tyler’s credit, he does come through with a very strong sense of melody throughout the track. There’s some pretty nice, otherworldly melodies on the intro, and his anthemic hooks on the chorus help to remind me why I got into them to begin with. What I find more difficult to stomach though is Tyler’s rapping. I don’t know whether it’s his tone of voice, or the fact it’s in the midst of a dystopian sci-fi plot, but there’s something about it I find inherently cringe. He’s not a bad rapper, but something in me just instinctively rejects it.

My only other critique comes with the lyrics. Maybe I’m just not reading them right, but besides a few meta references or general comments on the uncaring of everyday life, I’m not getting a lot. I suppose maybe that’s the problem with doing an album this fandom-centric: if you drop off and come back here, you may well be lost at sea. There are undeniably enjoyable traits characteristic of TOP’s previous work here, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for also being a tad disappointed or confused.

Next Semester

This is more like it, lads! I really don’t mind them taking a more anthemic pop-rock approach here, because it makes for a pretty enjoyable song. The persistent drumming acts as a great basis for some faintly punky guitar riffs in the verses, making you want to run around with endless abandon. Then, when the chorus rolls around, the poppier, moodier guitar leads get added too very tastefully by bits of piano. It creates a simultaneous atmosphere of sadness and nostalgia, tying in with the track very well. Add on a mountainous atmospheric bridge and a quaint, acoustic outro and bam! You’ve got a pretty enjoyable instrumental.

I enjoy this one vocally and lyrically a lot more too. Sure, the gargantuan “woah-oh-oh”s and “oo-oo”s don’t help the subtle undercurrent of cheese running through here, but otherwise it’s very solid. It’s your typical everyman story: someone equally excited about adulthood, yet dreading losing the innocence of childhood. It’s something we all go through, and the evocative imagery Tyler uses to explore this is very effective.

Equally, his melodies are just as strong. His clear, distinct, yet boyish voice actually works very well over the rockier portions, making it still very catchy, while also knowing when to just slightly dial up the intensity-o-meter.

Throughout the track he also displays a strong vocal flair. For as corny as the bridge might be, the melodies sound absolutely massive, and the chorus is the ultimate sad-boy sing-along. I know that sounds like an insult, believe me, it’s not. It might be a bit cheesy and saccharine in places, but it makes ‘Overcompensate’ almost feel like a false start of sorts.

Backslide

‘Backslide’ on the other hand feels somewhat caught between the two: some serious positives, but a palpable sense that something’s… off. Maybe that’s the point. The music, while being incredibly simple, works wonders. It definitely reminds me of ‘Levitate’, one of my favourite tracks from ‘Trench.’ Those ghostly, choppy synths weaving over a tight groovy beat, it works for the same reason a number of great rap beats do. It finds a great idea, and sticks with it. Not to mention that the touches of piano, bass and woodwinds are added quite tactfully for the most part. It really proves you don’t need a lot to do well.

Again though, the vocals are where my main criticisms emerge. There’s two compliments off the bat to start with though. For one, like with the last track, Tyler’s lyrics take a universal experience, and relays them in a way that feels both relatable and subtly poetic. This time it deals with the odd feeling of being overwhelmed by your problems, but that yearning for the time before they revealed themselves won’t help anyone either. That undercurrent of tragedy and tension is something he plays with rather nicely.

For two, I find his rapping on this song a lot more tolerable than on ‘Overcompensate.’ He just sounds a lot more confident, and a lot less “theatre kid does rap”, if that makes sense. If anything, my critique comes from the fact that I wish he’d keep doing it.

His melodies are pretty catchy here, but they definitely work better in their more understated form. When the huge, bombastic group vocals enter, it sounds anthemic, and kind of catchy I suppose, but does feel as if they pasted a hook from a different track and put it on here. As a result, the song feels a bit like wearing a posh Holister t-shirt and tracky bottoms to a sports day: not entirely of place, but maybe a bit much?

In conclusion, what does this tell us about the upcoming album as a whole? It’s certainly an improvement on ‘Scaled and Icy’, that’s for sure. Do I think it measures up to the material on ‘Trench’? No, not for me honestly. However, I can tell the ambition is certainly there, and they still display obvious talent.

So, when release day rolls around, and the album has a number of more pleasant surprises up its sleeves, which their albums often do, it could quite comfortably make top 3 in their discography

‘Clancy’ releases on May 24th via Fueled By Ramen. Pre-order it here. twenty one pilots will tour the UK and Europe in 2025

See the artwork and track list for ‘Clancy’ below

clancy cover