Since their debut with Blurryface in 2015, many writers have noted the Columbus, OH-based musical duo. Twenty One Pilots have endeavored to create a quatrology of concept albums, a series which was completed on the 12th of September with Breach, an album that seeks to provide thematic continuity of unreal worlds within the minds of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun— with polarizing results.
The 13-track album starts with “City Walls,” which notably emphasises rap over rock, and features the signature “moody-scream” of Joseph. It’s a decent start, but it’s nothing we haven’t seen before. We then move on to “RAWFEAR” with its faster pace and introspective lyrics, which veers it towards a more “conventional” indie-pop sound. Nothing wrong with that, but it is something to note as the band swims against their own stylistic current in this track.
Then we transition to “Drum Show,” which, despite its title, feels ironically guitar-driven. The highlight of this track is the chorus, with Joseph’s signature crooning, which he is known for. If there is a track in this album that’s “big” with it’s emotional impact, this is it. Also appreciated is the piano in the inter-chorus bridge. The lyrics may say to “drown it out” “Drum Show” possesses clarity in its bombastic sound.
In “Garbage” the piano is one again used to great effect as Tyler Joseph bemoans his self-loathing. The strength here is in the lyrics as Joseph professes that “I’m biting down on my shirt sleeve” and “I’ll lash out if you’re in arms reach.” The verse is so compelling that you feel like crawling through the speakers of your device to give the downtrodden man a hug. It’s not easy to evoke intense sympathy through pure lyricisms, but Joseph and Dun shine.
My favourite track, “The Contract,” is placed here roughly at the one-third mark, the first single to be released. With its intense and near hypnotizing drums and bass, this was my gateway to the album (so to speak). Hearing this track on my satellite radio as I made the back and forth between Richardson and my family home in Katy, TX, at the wee hours of dusk, or through a torrential rainstorm, made for a breathtaking listening experience. This song will forever be associated with cutting across gravel roads for the sake of it, or swiftly passing an 18-wheeler on a rural two-lane highway.
“Downstairs” lives up to the “down” in its name. With a synth-y intro reminiscent of Radiohead, the chorus with its bombastic drums and its raw vocals. The vibe this song has is of a concert in an empty warehouse, lit only with sparse industrial lighting.
While “Downstairs” was a high-intensity, low-mood track, then “Center Mass” is just low in both aspects. Hushed in content, with vocals approaching mumble core, “Center Mass” is pure introspection. The sound can be best described as “skipitty drums.” The whole vibe is that of an angsty teen; whether or not this is a liability, or an asset will depend on your tastes.
“Cottonwood” is the most “exotic” in its sound, at least relative to the rest of Twenty One Pilot’s discography. Its sound tilts towards Midwest emo, with an emphasis on the moody. It’s an alright track, it’s just not to my taste—but there surely is a listener out there on whom this song would have a stronger effect.
“One Way” also seeks to take Twenty One Pilots in a different direction in terms of genre, being reminiscent of Alec Benjamin’s early work. What’s special about this track is the end, where the last lyrics are spoken word excerpts from a phone call between (presumably) Chris Smith and Tyler Joseph, the writers for this track: “I’m not opposed to one way going into days lie dormant. But it does feel like a vibe change” is the most peculiar and meta way to transition to the next track.
With its upbeat sound, “Days Lie Dormant” provides a much-needed uplift in the home stretch of the album with its poptimism. It has the sound reminiscent of a beach in winter the week after finals. It may seem subdued and even dreary—“frozen and distorted”—but there is too much joy in your soul for that to matter. And the last chorus, complete with another strong piano track, has a “winter-performance for family friends at a Christmas party je ne sais quois” to me.
If you’re looking for a throwback to the early days of Twenty One Pilots, “Tally” has that for you. Tyler Joseph’s performance here is like “Car Radio,” but more esoteric and energetic with its electric Bass and Synthizizer in the foreground. It’s a return to form for the duo that is very much welcome.
For the final track “Intentions,” there really is not much for me to say. I’ve often said a song is “not to my taste,” but this is a song I just don’t understand on any level. This is more about me as a listener, and it wouldn’t be fair to make a critical assessment with that in mind. It’s simply pessimism encapsulated as a song, both in its sound with this lyric encapsulating the theme “Intentions will set you free.”
What are we to make of the eighth TØP album? It certainly ushers in closure in the concept album era. What strikes me as being perhaps most interesting with this album is that it can almost be split into two halves, the first half being more maximalist and reminiscent of their recent work, while the latter half of the album is more subtle and either draws its atmosphere from either early work, or from outside influences. These are the two forks in the roads for Twenty One Pilots, and if they refine their sound, either fork is sure to produce captivating music.
