Artist: Twenty One Pilots

Album: Blurryface

Genre: Pop, Rock

When Twenty One Pilots burst onto the national stage in 2013 with their major label debut, I’m not sure anyone knew quite what to think of the Midwest duo who have since become akin to alternative music royalty. Though the album was far from perfect, there were more than a handful of anthemic singles that helped propel the group into the underground pop stratosphere. Venues were packed, digital downloads were sold, and for a while everyone thought that a potentially game-changing new voice had emerged.

Two years and several hundred live shows later, Twenty One Pilots have returned to the spotlight with the release of their fourth studio album, Blurryface. The record features fourteen tracks, each with a distinctly unique sound, and therein lies the first of many problems with this release. Where Vessel showcased a diverse range of influences channeled through a fairly direct alternative pop sound, Blurryface tries to be a bit of everything at once and ends up delivering a very frustrating and disjointed series of tracks that try far too hard to be different.

Let’s back up a bit — I don’t want to make you think I hated this record from the start. In fact, I had the highest of hopes for Twenty One Pilots and still do, despite what I might think of this album as a whole. “Heavydirtysoul” kicks things off on a fun and fast note, with quick drumming that gets your feet moving almost as fast as the infectious and simplistic hook causes you to sing along. This is the type of material fans expected the band to deliver, and it’s here they shine the brightest. It’s unique, but not so outside the box that casual listeners will cry foul. “Stressed Out,” the second track and first real single, follows a similar format while slowing things down just enough to allow for those depressed by the unwavering forward motion of time a nice mid-tempo track to sulk to the next time they feel like an outcast in their hometown.

When the reggae-themed “Ride” begins you can almost feel the album start to run off the rails. The song is structurally sound, with interesting instrumentation and perfectly fine lyrics, but it’s also unquestionably different than everything we’ve heard up to this point on the album. That would be fine if everything still made sense cohesively, but from this point on, the sequencing only becomes more and more jarring. “Fairly Local,” for example, follows the laid-back vibes of “Ride” with a futuristic and bombastic sound that lacks the emotional punch its over-accented lyrics wish to deliver. “Doubt” encounters a similar problem, as its synth-heavy production follows two stripped-down tracks with little to no transition between the two.

What the album lacks in flow it makes up for, to an extent, with a number of potential singles that bring to mind the best material from the rest of the band’s catalog. We already talked about “Stressed Out,” which grows on you over time, but the real quality material has gone largely unshared. “Tear In My Heart” boasts a classic pop sound with the structural sensibilities and unwavering lyrical honesty only Twenty One Pilots can deliver, while “The Judge” bounces with a stripped-down sound that is perfect for long summer car rides. The real highlight, though, is “Hometown.” It’s tucked away near the end of the record, showcasing a different side of the band that is near impossible to resist. It’s the kind of track that tells us what Twenty One Pilots may deliver in the future, and it’s more than good enough to guarantee I at least spin their next album.

Still, a collection of possible singles scattered amongst an album filled with more good ideas than good songs is not enough to hold your interest. Blurryface runs just over 53 minutes in length, and I caught myself checking how many tracks I had left after the sixth song on my very first listen. Blame it on the lack of clear focus in the music, or simply the overwhelming sonic saturation that comes with material influenced by every variation of pop music known to man, but there is too much happening on this record for any one or two elements to stick with you. In some cases that may be a good thing, like when The Dear Hunter adds orchestral elements to their already full sound, but for Twenty One Pilots it largely dilutes what could be great material.

Given the success and acclaim their live show has received, there is not a doubt in my mind that Twenty One Pilots will continue to thrive in 2015 despite creating a rather lackluster record. Blurryface could have been the next step in an evolution that has proven pop bands today can do anything they put their minds to, but instead it plays like a messy collection of interesting ideas that never quite come together the way you hope they might. I’m sure some will find plenty of material to love here, but in terms of moving things forward, Blurryface largely relies on already proven ideas for its best moments. Twenty One Pilots have delivered more satisfying material in the past, and I am hopeful they will again one day.

SCORE: 6.5/10

Review written by: James Shotwell Follow @utgjames

