Vessel

About

Twenty one pilots is not the first band to brazenly mash together disparate genre. Still, it’s rare to see an artist on the pop charts so unabashedly break the rule, sometimes forgoing hooks and choruses altogether. Before signing to Fueled By Ramen—home to bands like Fall Out Boy, Paramore, and Jimmy Eat World—singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun had been honing their sound in front of bigger and bigger crowds in and around their hometown of Columbu, OH. As much as the music itself, Joseph’s words hit especially hard, no matter if he’s spilling them out in a wicked-fast rap or theatrical croon. The whole package comes together on twenty one pilots’ 2013 major label debut, a polished, potent patchwork of rock and rap, emo and electro-pop—and plenty of hell and hope. For half of <i>Vessel</i>, the duo reworked songs from its 2011 independent release, <i>Regional at Best</i>, turning them into fuller, glossier productions while still harnessing the pair’s cathartic energy. Opener “Ode To Sleep” hopscotches through buzzing synth, menacing ba, and Joseph’s breathless rap, then swiftly plunges into a jaunty emo-pop rager. The shapeshifting song puts listeners straight through a boot camp, though it’s just the warm-up. Every ensuing track is fueled by just as much urgency, whether it’s tightly wrapped in piano-dotted pop (“Holding On To You”), ukulele-lined folk (“House of Gold”), or indie dance beats (“Semi-Automatic”). .

via Apple Music

The Clerk says

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