Without a doubt, Twenty One Pilots (TOP) has a devoted fan base. I wouldn’t say that I’m a part of that die-hard group, but as the years have gone by and they’ve released more albums, I’ve definitely kept up with and supported the band. However, that also means I was around to witness other fans call some of their new music something that belonged in the background of an Old Navy commercial. Harsh…
I’ve always had faith in Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn to create at least one banger per album, so that means I have stuck by them. In recent years, and in recent albums, not many fans have stayed dedicated. There is an overwhelming number of complaints that the band has changed and that they’ve lost the sound that made everyone fall in love with them.
Don’t get me wrong, their first albums are truly works of art with songs that are just impossible to skip when they come on shuffle. However, adopting the mindset that a band shouldn’t ever mature, develop, and find new things that work for them is so narrow-minded, and you’ll be limited from hearing the new unskippable songs they have yet to release.
I fear that is what has happened with their newest album, Clancy. Clancy came out in May, and I have truly heard nothing about it. The only things I’ve heard came from my sister, who is at double digits in the amount of TOP concerts she has gone to. I didn’t know if people liked the new album or not because, this time, there was just radio silence.
Imagine my surprise when I decided to give the album a listen and my expectations were more than met. In fact, all I could think of as I went through each song was all the old fans of the band who were missing out by not giving this album a chance. Therefore, here are three reasons why you should give this album a listen.
1. Clancy Sounds a Lot Like Their Old Albums
That signature TOP sound that developed from their self-titled album through Vessel and into Blurryface is very present throughout, in my opinion. Their Scaled and Icy sound — which was good in its own right — has blended with the iconic Twenty One Pilots sound from their early days, and now I can see a lot of similarities in the components of their newer songs to the older ones.
If you show any die-hard TOP fan a song with synths in it, they’ll tell you that you have to be pulling the song from Blurryface. Except, with “Midwest Indigo,” you don’t have to be. It has the same sound and cadence as “Message Man” but came out almost 10 years later. The same can be said for the famous TOP switches between rock breaks and rap verses like what can be heard in “Fall Away.” Clancy’s “Next Semester” features the same fast and intense pace, which can only be described as a Twenty One Pilots’ sound.
Clancy also includes a few very raw and emotional love songs like the ones seen in the band’s early days. So I’m not saying that “The Craving” or “Paladin Strait” is the next “House of Gold” or “Oh Miss Believer,” but I am saying that Tyler Joseph is still the same raw and genuine lyricist.
Honestly, I think that if I had to describe Clancy in one sentence it would be this: How TOP’s first few albums would have sounded if they had the equipment and maturity that they do now. I mean, just compare “Holding On To You” and “Oldies Station” and try to tell me that they don’t have the same sound. The major difference between the two is that one is a little more developed than the other.
2. The Message of Clancy Is Very True to the Band
Both the content and message of this album are so true to the band and their early albums. Many Twenty One Pilots fans fell in love with their music because of the vulnerability they conveyed through it. You’ll find these qualities and fall in love with Clancy without a doubt.
The album doesn’t shy away (no pun intended) from sharing the continual struggles that come with battling depression and anxiety. Once again, TOP has managed to turn sadness and overwhelming feelings into something beautiful that brings a group of people together.
There are so many songs from Clancy to choose from that highlight just how much of an obstacle mental illness is. While pushing through the struggle is the theme of the album, one song summarized the importance of acknowledging mental health too perfectly to skip over.
“At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb” is another fun and catchy song at first glance, but by the time it’s over, its title makes a little more sense. This one lyric really shows this: “At the risk of feeling dumb, check-in / it’s not worth the risk of losin’ a friend.” Ouch. Yet Tyler is absolutely right, and I feel that no one is able to better convey these messages about mental health than Twenty One Pilots.
3. Clancy Feels Like the Direction Twenty One Pilots was Always Heading
Not only are the songs a culmination of everything and every sound that they’ve had before, but they also continue to follow the story of the two outcast boys from Ohio. They’re older now, and they’ve won many battles with mental health, but that doesn’t necessarily mean things have gotten easier for them.
In fact, in the face of all their success and accomplishments, they are still terrified of losing the fight to their minds and ruining all that growth. “Backslide” and “Snap Back” share that terror of feeling like you might fall back into an unhealthy cycle with more to lose now.
I’m so grateful that I have stuck with the band up until this point because, within the past 16 years, the bright side of this band’s story has started to unfold before our very eyes. I would like to think that TOP from 2009 would love to hear that they’re right on time and in the crowd at their children’s dance recital — their words from Clancy, not mine.
Of course, music and artists are ever-evolving. However, I think it might be time to start looking at that as a good thing. Clancy might not be your cup of tea, but it’s a testament to how boring life would be if all art stayed the same.
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