Review: Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface

Twenty One Pilots - Blurryface

The game-changing fourth studio album by rock band Twenty One Pilots is turning ten years old over the weekend, so it’s only fitting for us to take another look at what made Blurryface so special. The Fueled By Ramen release was an immediate success. The record debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 in its first week of release, it was the first album in Billboard history for every song on the record to be at least Gold certified, and it has since been certified as 4x Platinum by the RIAA. Putting a fresh pair of ears on Blurryface in 2025 brings back a flood of good memories for me. I had become a fan of the band from a friend sharing the band’s third record, Vessel, with me, but I was floored by the artistic development found on Blurryface. Tyler Joseph had a hand in co-producing each of these tracks with a handful of other producers gently adding some insight and their experiences to make sure the songs really shined. From the frenetic opening drum sequence by Josh Dun on “Heavydirtysoul” all the way to the somber reflection of “Goner” that slow-builds to a dramatic crescendo, Blurryface has a little bit of everything in it for fans of all genres to enjoy. Fueled By Ramen would happily release six singles from the 14-track effort, and each of these infectious songs are as immediately gripping as the first time I heard them.

Read More “Twenty One Pilots – Blurryface”

Review: Twenty One Pilots – Clancy

The seventh studio album from Twenty One Pilots, called Clancy, brings closure to the near decade-long conceptual series that began with Trench. In many ways, Twenty One Pilots are challenging their audience to go on this ride with them as they navigate through the waters of rap, alternative, punk, and indie rock, while still looking for new and innovative ways to express the right emotions in their music. Clancy is the character that the band first introduced in Trench, and this record of the same name pulls out some additional thematic elements to bring rich context to the story. After some hard to hear radio chatter on the beginning of the opener, “Overcompensate,” a voice comes on to set the tone by stating emphatically, “Welcome back to Trench.” By taking a brief detour to where they’ve been, while still trying to advance the music forward in their repertoire, Twenty One Pilots have crafted an album worthy of multiple repeat spins and reward listeners willing to take deep dive into the world of Clancy.

Read More “Twenty One Pilots – Clancy”

Review: Twenty One Pilots – MTV Unplugged

At some point you just have to acknowledge true artists and musical geniuses for what they are. Twenty One Pilots have always been ones to break the mold of blurring genre lines by tinkering with emo, pop-punk, rap, and synth-based rock to make a sound that is ultimately unique to them. Their MTV Unplugged performance is another example of what Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are capable of creating on the fly, as they invited the audience to participate in the creation of these songs. To quote Joseph on his closing line from the show, “We are Twenty One Pilots, and so are you.” By incorporating audience participation into the final recordings from the show, this statement has never been more accurate.

Read More “Twenty One Pilots – MTV Unplugged”