twenty one pilots are back and have returned with Clancy. Their 7th studio album, accompanied by a visual album, serves as the final chapter in the band’s almost decade-long story that started with Blurryface. We’ve invited our resident 21P expert, Will Nordt to help us write this week’s review.
On the heels of twenty one pilots’ more pop-friendly “experimental” album, Scaled and Icy, Clancy finds its way back into the darker soundscapes twenty one pilots is known for. Throughout their past several albums, Twenty One Pilots has created an immersive world through their music that includes a fictional city called Dema and several characters. The story surrounding their albums is focused on Dema, which represents mental health struggles, the cyclical nature of depression, and grappling with a backsliding faith. The city is ruled by oppressive bishops who follow an autocratic religion called Vialism, which requires citizens to take their own lives to enter Paradise. To put it briefly, Clancy (the main character in this story, and a placeholder for lead singer Tyler Joseph) is a fictional character working to escape the fictional city of Dema, a metaphor for being liberated from one's mental health struggles.
From 21P’s last record, it was revealed that Clancy is an exception to the laws of Vialism and harnesses the same power as the Bishops. This is key to the story of twenty one pilots’ seventh studio album, Clancy.
Clancy does a great job at balancing a deep dive into the lore of Trench and Dema that could lose some casual listeners while giving intense plot followers enough story to cling to. The album dives right into establishing the character of Clancy in the booming album intro, Overcompensate. The stage is set. Clancy is returning to Trench to face Nico and retake his true faith. After the opening track, we don’t get any direct lore from the music until Paladin Strait, the finale on the record (although, one could argue Snap Back mentions Clancy’s plans to kill Nico, but it isn’t as overt).
In between the bookends of Clancy, twenty one pilots provides us with lyrical topics ranging from suicidal ideation, struggling to consistently follow God and maintain faith, addiction, love, perspective from becoming a father, and asking your friends how they’re doing.
To the casual listener, Clancy will probably stick right away than an album like Trench that found its identity in extremely calculated lyrics, sounds, and storylines that were infrequently surface level. Clancy is more straightforward in its delivery, which for a finale to a decade-long story is a great decision. twenty one pilots want the listener to know the story on Clancy. It is no longer a secret kept for the super-fan.
As previously mentioned, Clancy is a visual album. Each song received one (or two - The Craving) music video. There is a playlist on twenty one pilots’ YouTube titled “Twenty One Pilots - The Story” where viewers can watch all of the “lore-related” videos. Can’t miss videos from Clancy are Lavish, Navigating, Overcompensate, Next Semester, and the Avengers: Endgame-esque Paladin Strait).
All in all, what is so impressive about their latest record is that it doesn’t give into one single era of the band's style, but tactfully incorporates all their different subgenres and sounds into one record. Their hyper fusion of funky/pop/rock/rap/reggae-mix is all over this record, but still makes Clancy feel distinct and reinvented. The songwriting on this record is matured, bringing a newfound sophistication and full of growth. The melodies on this project are some of their career best
twenty one pilots leave us hanging on the closing track Paladin Strait (make sure you listen to the full six-and-a-half minutes). Just before premiering Paladin Strait on a YouTube livestream at 1:30am Friday, May 24th, lead singer and bassist Tyler Joseph said, “So you tell me. Does it sound like the end?” In what feels like the year of the double album, I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the future holds for this duo.
Can’t Miss: Navigating, Next Semester, Vignette,
You Can Skip: Lavish, The Craving
BY THE NUMBERS
Will’s Score: 8.31
Bennett’s Score: 6.54
Carson’s Score: 6.62
Overall Album Score: 21.46/30, which translates to roughly 14.3 overall
Notes from Will:
Navigating is a MAJOR highlight on Clancy. Powered by 80s-inspired synths, one of Tyler’s best bass guitar performances, and easily the fastest drumming on the record, this song LAUNCHES itself from the get-go. The intro and first “My Oh My” is electric. This could be on the upcoming Stranger Things 5 soundtrack and fit right in.
Routines in the Night is a straightforward bop. Certainly not the most impressive song on the album, but the most likely smash hit. Midwest Indigo brings me back to the alt-pop of the early 2010s and I love it. Overcompensate displays Tyler Joseph and Paul Meany’s elite production skills. Backslide’s cathartic chorus hits hard as a Christian. Catch the imagery of Matthew 14: 22-33 as Peter falls under the water. “Do you think that now’s the time you should let go?” cuts really deep.
Lavish is…interesting…but it’s growing on me. Big time Gorillaz vibes on that track, and easily the most creative way to say “f**k” without actually saying it (see the “proctologist” line). Oldies Station makes me so happy. A perfect song about growing perspective as you age and becoming a father. Definitely my favorite song on the record.
Paladin Strait provides, in my opinion, Tyler Joseph’s best studio vocal performance to date. Am I wrong for getting Kacey Musgraves vibes? The only thing missing from this song is a deep baritone horn section in the final chorus. That would be icing on the cake. The hidden track is eerie as ever and provides a cliffhanger that leads me to believe we have not heard the end of the story…
Notes from Bennett:
*crickets*
Notes from Carson:
I really loved Scaled & Icy because it was a happier, poppier record that just resonated more with my taste, but Clancy has been a pleasant experience as well.
Routines In The Night is the real earworm here and the best pop song on the record. Highly recommend it. Vignette is unlike any other song I've heard from them and also a real standout to me, I hope they lean into more like this.
The Craving is not a good song. I just can’t stand the vocals on this, kinda grating to me honestly. Simply just not my vibe but very reminiscent of Vessel
Still don’t love the rapping bits of this record. I think they are stronger songs when they DON'T do that. Leave that to the professionals please. A lot of lyrics from 21P can sometimes feel cringy, but this record actually has a lot more substance and maturity to them.
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