Returning back into the spotlight, Twenty One Pilots is back with another story and a 14-track album, Trench.
The two man band of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun is a force to be reckoned with. Twenty One Pilots’ last album, Blurryface was released in May 2015. Three years later, with a year long hiatus, the band is back stronger than ever.
This album was worth the long wait as it expands and creates more into the story of Dema, the city that Joseph has created throughout the album. The release of the music started with four singles, “Jumpsuit,” “Levitate,” “My Blood” and “Nico And The Niners,” all coming out in succession over the summer, building up anticipation for the album release.
The album opens up with “Jumpsuit” which revolves around the story of Joseph running away, escaping from Dema. The meek tone of Joseph’s voice in the beginning of this song is a well-known tone of Twenty One Pilots.
The bass and drum is battled by Joseph’s lyrics, almost showing an internal battle, which is a recurring theme with other songs by Twenty One Pilots. The angsty mood of this song sets the tone for the rest of the album.
The most notable song of the album would have to be “Morph.” Joseph’s emotional falsetto pairs great with the ‘90s-vibe synths that highlight the catchiness of the lyrics that repeat: “I’ll morph to someone else, I’m just a ghost,” explaining how he is trying to escape Dema.
The fifth track on this album, “Chlorine” is my personal favorite. The song starts with a strong bass and drum snare from Dun. Joseph returns to his monochromatic singing to show his emotions, that he feels almost empty when not writing music.
“Chlorine” represents how he cleanses his soul by writing music. If he doesn’t write he feels that he won’t be able to control himself, it cleanses his soul: “Sippin’ on straight chlorine, let the vibes slide over me, this beat is a chemical, beat is a chemical.”
One of the most unique songs in Trench is “Cut My Lip.” Unlike the others it starts with a build-up into the first verse using a synth. The song’s simplicity makes it very easy to sing along to, which gives it this reggae feel.
I could just stand and sway to the simple beat of this song from Dun’s drum. The reverb on Joseph’s voice matches the breakdown of the song, building layers onto the songs simple structure.
The final song of Trench, “Leave The City” ends the album on a sad note. The song features a constant piano riff, building up the intensity slowly, adding drums little by little. The track’s lyrics explain Joseph escaping the city of Dema with the Bandito’s, led by Dun, who saved him from the Niners.
The intensity of the track matches the story so well, however if you did not know the band, you would just think that the lyrics are very symbolic of what Joseph is feeling.
Trench is a must add to your daily Spotify playlist. If you are interested in the duo, they will be here at the Tacoma Dome Nov. 16 while on The Bandito Tour.
