Three years after their last release, Twenty One Pilots came out with their seventh studio album, “Clancy” on May 24. Following their less than well received last album, “Scaled and Icy,” this new release takes the band in a more classic direction.
Containing 13 tracks, it reaches a run time of 47 minutes in total, of which the majority I enjoyed. The songs vary quite a lot in sound, but are similar to their hit album “Trench” in theme, which was the goal of the album. I loved the return to “Trench” because it’s a hit for a reason and “Clancy” carries on that greatness. All the tracks have a kind of bleak nostalgia theme, which shined through the lyrics. My favorite songs were “Backslide,” “Vignette” and “Snap Back.” They each have amazing instrumentals and lyrics.
The third track, “Backslide,” has an emo-pop sound reminiscent of their 2015 album “Blurryface” cut in with some rap verses, which added a nice contrast to that old sound. The vocals are filled with intense desperation which wonderfully match the lyrics. The song is about the inability to break destructive habits with lyrics like “there’s no chance I will shake this again / Cause I feel the pull, water’s over my head” and “I’ll take anything you have / If you could throw me a line.” Those lyrics paired with the frantic, desperate vocals make this a very emotionally effective track.
The sixth track, “Vignette,” is probably my favorite on the album. “Vignette” again has that emo-pop “Blurryface” -inspired sound that I love. The vocals are much more mellow and somber in this track because it touches on the theme of hopelessness and falling into the “Vignette” or darkness. This track also uses amazing metaphors such as “Not sure when it started, peelin’ from his bones’” used to describe falling apart and “It’s a tribute to zombies of which I’ve become” to describe feeling empty and lifeless. These metaphors make for some visceral, yet powerful imagery that makes this song really impactful. The complex lyrics also make the song more engaging and held my attention very well.
The tenth track, “Snap Back,” is entirely rapped, which typically isn’t my favorite, but really worked for me in this song. The song has the same theme of relapsing as “Backslide,” but it is from a different perspective. While “Backslide” was filled with emotion, “Snap Back” has colder vocals, almost nihilistic in nature. The lyrics are also more pessimistic as well, with lines like “bite the hand that helps me, give it finger stitches / Blacklisted from forgiveness” and “If I’m gonna snap necks, then I gotta snap back.” I liked that change in perspective between the two songs: from trying and holding on and then the switch to hopelessness. I thought that showed an interesting shift. “Snap Back” also included some nice electronic beats that, while still being a heavy song, made it really fun to vibe and listen to.
Sadly, not every track on the album was a bop. I found that “Next Semester” had weaker lyrics lacking in meaning. “Overcompensate” and “Routines in the Night” had too much autotune for my taste, which made them painful to listen to. Luckily however, these songs were in the minority.
Overall, I really enjoyed this album. The majority of songs had great vocals, pleasant instrumentals, clever lyrics and were emotionally effective. There were a few songs that I did not care for, but they are far and few between. I would definitely recommend giving “Clancy” a listen, especially if you are a Twenty One Pilots fan. It was worth the 47 minutes.
“Clancy:” ★★★★☆
