Clancy by Twenty One Pilots Album Review

Twenty One Pilots have long been one of the most unique and creative bands to ever exist. A group that takes the idea of genre or singular styles and just throws them into a blender. They do everything they can to create the most genre-bending music I can think of, and they have recently been at their top form.

Trench is one of my favorite albums of all time, packed full of quality songs that sound like they came from another world. Iced & Scaly was fine enough, not my favorite album but still good.

And then, there is Clancy.

An album that feels like a sequel to Trench, with similar sound and style while continuing the amazing story that they have been telling most of their careers with incredible world building and lyrics that are just so awesome to listen to that tell a story throughout.

Let us see how Clancy stands up to their past discography and how they have continued to evolve and change!

Track 1: Overcompensate

We start the album with some powerful piano chords and some electronic background noise that goes right into a crazy sounding synth thing with some more fx noise and some audio recordings spliced together. A fun synth riser that drops into "Welcome back to Trench" followed by an awesome and super well produced drum beat. More synth goodness with the vocals finally coming in and sounding purely haunting. Almost like a nightmare or somebody trapped in one trying to cry out for attention and to be saved.

Once the first verse kicks in, it is a fast paced pop rock type song with some incredible distorted bass, awesome synth sounds, great drums, and an incredible vocal delivery that only Tyler Joseph could do.

The lyrics come hot and fast with the drums keeping up while the rest of the music just changes and evolves around them, with no moment sounding like it repeats or loops at any moment.

The bridge sounds incredible, the vocals sounding crazy and the synth goes even crazier with rapid bass changes and the high pitched whistle sound that sounds incredible to fill out the mix.

A song that is full of energy and momentum to perfectly start off the album and set the tone for what to expect.

Track 2: Next Semester

This might be a bit of a controversial take, but I think this is the weakest song of the album. It is a song that I thoroughly enjoy and has a truly punk rock sound to it which is great, but it just feels out of place on this album to me. It is full of energy and joy and has an infectious melody along with the "woos" and some great drum playing, but it just doesn't reach that next level for me.

The mix sounds muddy at some points, which might be a throwback to old school punk recordings not usually being all that polished.

But it still has good moments and a great chorus alongside with the amazing drums.

The rest of the music though with the guitar strumming is a bit too repetitive, as at least for me it doesn't sound like it changes all that much compared to other songs.

The bridge being more stripped back and throwing in the piano is great and feels so beautiful and open, with it then going perfectly into just Tyler singing and a guitar while the background vocal sings off into the abyss. The lyrics feel very haunting and vulnerable in a beautiful way, with the backing vocals only adding to the atmosphere in a almost horror movie type way to my ears.

An incredible ending to a mixed song that I just wish was more unique and changed things up during it.

Track 3: Backslide

Backslide has a very laid back funky sound to start off with. The drums are slow, the bass is funky and almost sounds like it is being slapped, and the vocals are mellow with some great production on them. The added things with the synths or guitars or whatever they are just coming in every so often makes it feel full and unique, which is what Twenty One Pilots does best.

The lead in for the first chorus is nice, but then the chorus comes in with a big punch and sounds incredible. Some of the best sounding drums of the entire album with my personal favorite snare perhaps of their entire discography. I just love how it sounds with the very tight and dry tone.

The vocals are really the star of this song, with some incredibly beautiful and amazing production on them in terms of the reverb and any sort of distortion or pitch shifting that was added. It sounds great, especially when there is a chorus of background vocals coming in to add to the atmosphere and make something that truly does sound incredible personal. An emotional hook that goes into some piano chords before ending with a pretty awesome instrumental "breakdown" I guess you could call it that I sort of wish went a little bit longer. It sounded incredible and like a whole lot of fun funky stuff.

Track 4: Midwest Indigo

This song is so unique and strange. And I mean that in the best way possible.

It starts off with a beautiful synth pad along with a pretty ear catchy synth melody that sounds so nostalgic and analog. An awesome sounding one. Then we get Tyler coming in with VERY heavily reverb on his vocals that sound beautiful over top of the synths and leads straight into the proper song in a great way.

But then we get a total switch up. The synths are gone and we get a great sounding bass run along with awesome drums and then adding in some very subtle and quiet synths in the background.

Vocals that remind me a bit of Next Semester, but they work much better with this music.

The chorus especially is so beautiful with the added piano and ukulele over the bright, airy drums. The vocals sounding heavenly and full of emotion to tell the story that he is wanting to tell. A great sounding song at this point.

But what this song especially does so well is making a song full of so many different styles and moments. The next verse is all bass and drums with some piano in the background, sounding so different than the rest. Able to perfectly go back and forth between sounds that just never stop to amaze me.

The next chorus even reintroduces the synth melody from the beginning, tying it back in in what feels like a motif thing that you typically see in classical music. The bridge has more synth and just vocals before the last chorus is just full of everything coming together from this track into something massive and full of creativity. Something so beautiful and sounds incredible with every element sounding perfectly crafted to fit together.

Track 5: Routines In The Night

This song for me sounds like it could fit in on Trench. It has a darker sound with some incredibly haunting and stoic vocals in the beginning while the music is much more stripped back and basic compared to the past tracks. The piano in the background, the straight forward drums, and the occasional background distorted vocal fx just really lets the vocals shine over all else.

An incredibly well made song that continues to push the story in the way of vocals and great lyrical delivery that can go back and forth from long, stretched out singing and very fast paced "rapping" in a sense that never once feels jarring or like the transition was not smooth enough.

A master of all types of vocal delivery, Tyler really flexes on this song.

The final chorus too sounds great with the added howls and singing underneath the fast monotone like rapping from Tyler sounds great, going into another great and dark sounding instrumental breakdown with more awesome effects that sound so dark and perfect with the drums still marching forward.

Ending with a seriously beautiful little piano excerpt that sounds incredible.

It is hard to keep up with this song, as it is a normal length yet just races by and feels about half as long due to the energy and delivery that is given.

Track 6: Vignette

A very special and unique sounding song. Perhaps my favorite intro with the synth pad and strings suddenly going into massive hits that are spaced out in an awesome way. Making the energy and pace difficult to find until the drums truly come in for a great beat, some awesome sounding funky bass, and all sorts of little flourishes that sound amazing.

Tyler's vocals are fast and somehow sound less and more produced as he sings.

Like there are a dozen tracks with various different production things and effects that just jump back and forth between each other that sounds so incredible and unique.

His singing is over the top in terms of quality, sounding effortless more often than not as even his falsetto is just absolutely incredible. And mixing this in with amazing music full of energy and the most unique sound up to this point is awesome to hear.

The choruses are a strong point for this song, sounding so awesome and have totally great lead ups before going into the high pitched singing and more of the massive hits that sound perfect on top. And with drums that never slow down and sound impeccable.

But then we get another stripped back bridge that then goes straight into a wild and energetic synth solo which sounds incredible. Such an awesome sounding song that feels truly special and with all sorts of awesome moments just colliding together into something truly special and unique. An awesome song full of an infectious vibe and lyrics that are going to get stuck in your head in the best possible way for quite a while.

Track 7: The Craving (Jenna's Version)

Twenty One Pilots released a single version of this song that is much more energetic and upbeat. While I do like that song, I am in love with this one.

This song is EXTREMELY emotional and just having Tyler sing over top of guitar chords is just so beautiful and haunting. Something that sounds like it could make anybody cry or smile at the same time. Incredible vocals that are the most wholesome and full of truth that you will hear on this album.

Heck, this song starts off with a audio message by Jenna Joseph herself!

"I don't know why I can't stop crying

And I'm thinking about getting old

And I don't know a lot about you still"

That is beautiful and hard to hear, I imagine. Then we get Tyler coming in with perhaps some of the best vocals of the entire album sounding purely beautiful. So vulnerable, which I know I have said a lot so far but this is the song where it is by far the truest.

And we get some totally beautiful whistles and hums at one point that have an incredible sound. Just having the baritone ukulele (as I learned afterwards is what he is playing) and the little vocal sounds is incredibly creative and sounds beautiful.

And the chorus alone is just perfect. Sounds incredible and one of the best of the album.

And then we get the ending.

"Now I see intentions don't mean much."

Such a wild line to end on and sounds so haunting as it just cuts to silence for a few seconds until the next song.

Track 8: Lavish

A song that to me sounds like it could've fit in on Scaled & Icy.

It has a upbeat tone and some very rapid "rapping" from Tyler with some great production, a good sounding melody underneath, and some finely produced drums.

Honestly, much like Next Semester, I do enjoy this song but it fitting in on this album is just strange to me.

We get some awesome sounding production, strings, and a very unique structure that is unlike anything else you will hear, but it just has a bit of an off kilter vibe and sound to it that I typically enjoy but this just doesn't land as much like other songs for me.

I don't even have much more to say, as this is by far the shortest song on the album and something that I am honestly happy about. I don't hate this song, just doesn't get me as excited as much as most of the other songs.

Track 9: Navigating

I absolutely love how this song sounds.

Pure hype and energy from the moment it starts that barely ever lets up.

I absolutely love the sound of the guitar in the beginning, and then the big hit with the wild drums, vocals, and fast guitar just sounds so incredible. An infectious sound that can not be replicated by anyone else just because of how unique and special it is.

The combining of the background synth, great sounding drums, the incredible vocals, and then the organ (I think is what it is) in the chorus is so perfectly mixed into something truly epic.

And then we get half time drums in the chorus, which is something that I personally love and always enjoy. Something that sounds great with every single element just coming together into something truly special and magical. Sounds incredible from beginning to end with the energy never slowing down, and the vibes pushing through the entire song into something great.

A song that is not repetitive in really any way and constantly changing to keep the listener engaged and enjoying it. So great to hear!

And we get an incredible bridge that just builds and builds and builds into something truly awesome into the final stretch of the song which feels so big and grandiose. Great production with incredible music and singing just...AHH

I love this song.

Hugely recommend this song, even if people don't want to sit and listen to the whole album.

Track 10: Snap Back

This song starts off with a beautiful sounding synth bell melody that then comes up against very low, produced vocals. It sounds incredible with the massive juxtaposition, and then the drums sound incredibly unique, even for this album.

Heavily produced with some great sounding cymbals, an awesome snare with all sorts of air, and some low kicks coming in. The bass really helps to add to it, giving it some extra kick and punch.

The vocals are alone with the guitar for a brief moment and sounds great before we go into all sorts of sounds and elements coming together into a haunting soundscape to keep things evolving and changing.

But then we get even more changes with just Tyler having no production and just raw vocals with the synth still playing and the drums sounding back to normal. Like raw audio suddenly cutting in before we go back to the chorus and lovely singing over heavenly sounding chords and drums.

We quickly get a little break with synth pads and the most heavily produced and reverberated vocals yet, sounding truly special. More deep and low vocals and hats building underneath, slowly adding more and more. The building underneath the heavenly sound has such a unique sound, but then we get more instrumental break downs with this one sounding the best.

Perfectly mixing in every possible style and element on this song to sound bright and dark at the same time. Perfectly produced and raw at the same time. Incredible vocals, great synths, awesome sounding drums, great bass and guitar underneath to fill it out. Just something so magical and stylish.

Track 11: Oldies Station

Now, it is a little bit hard to truly pick favorites on this album. Every song is great. Even the ones I feel don't quite match up like Lavish or Next Semester are still great.

But these last 3 songs I feel are the absolute peak of this album.

Oldies Station starts off with just a piano and Tyler singing in a magical way. Something so special and honest.

Then we get the added ukulele, distorted bass far off in the mix, and great sounding bright drums coming in. Still sounding very light hearted and fun. Not overly stimulating or loud. Just laid back and honest with some bright, lovely sounding music.

Everything just continues to grow and build, but never once does this get overly wild or chaotic. The unique sounding synth is a great touch and one that I love for the build up into the chorus and last stretch of the song.

The final chorus has such an incredible sound with some lyrics that I sing or hum to myself almost constantly. It sounds so bright and colorful and lovely in a seriously great way. Awesome song to come and keep the quality as high as possible.

An amazing song that I am a massive fan of.

Just perfect music, incredibly lyrics delivered with the best vocals you'll hear, and just so many little things coming together that would be great on their own combining into this just magical experience for the ears and mind.

Track 12: At The Risk Of Feeling Dumb

The start of this sounds so strange and weird. Uniquely playful and weird.

It sounds like the song will be straight forward and basic. Almost like Vignette to me in the beginning with something that sounds like it will be good with elements that just continue to build and build.

Every second of this song. Every note and lyric and moment just sounds like it is building into something more and more.

The first choruses and verses sound great, but then about half way through we get the massive "drop" I guess you could call it which really pushes this song into great territory.

An awesome sounding hit with amazing music full of distorted guitars and awesome, massive sounding drums with great singing.

But then we drop right back down into a verse that builds once again with so many little flourishes and fx sounds that keep you engaged and listening with intent as every single moment is different and unique.

We get the other awesome sounding drop chorus and it is even bigger and louder than before, sounding as epic as possible to end on. A awesome, massive end that suddenly drops back into something much more reserved and laid back with some great synth and guitar with some more laid back drums.

An amazing song that is pushed up by just so much stuff coming together.

Track 13: Paladin Strait

Calling this the most unique song on the album is a bold claim. Really, this is incredibly unique even for Twenty One Pilots.

By far the longest song on the album, it starts off with a synth hit that I am addicted to. It sounds so beautiful and even retro before we get some ukulele playing and then Tyler's incredible vocals.

Sounding almost as real and raw as The Craving.

Yes there is production on them, but you can still feel the emotion through it.

Incredibly haunting and peaceful lyrics at the same time, with his tone and character making it even more special.

The drums finally come in, sounding at their most basic and simple. That is actually a good thing, as it perfectly fits this song so far. There is no reason to be over complicated or complex if it doesn't fit the rest of the song, and they do that perfectly here.

The choruses are so beautiful and lyrical. Sounding like poetry that is just hard to ignore or try to argue against.

We get the return of the awesome sounding synth that I love as we build into a pre-chorus or bridge that I love just as much.

"Here's my chance time to take it

Can't be sure that I'll make it

Even though I'm past the point of no return"

Some of my favorite lyrics and favorite moments in all of Twenty One Pilots.

Building into something just perfectly powerful, sounding defiant and scared at the same time. I would say this might be the best song of the album, even if I feel like others might not appreciate it for the style and structure. This is one of the lesser listened to and streamed songs on the album, so maybe that is part of it.

I also think that part of that is due to the fact that we get nearly 1 minute of silence, aside from some bird noises in the background.

It perfectly fits the over arching story that they are telling as well as the story of this entire album and even this song. It is peaceful and beautiful to listen to. It is just so nice to hear.

Then the guitar comes in again, playing a similar melody to the ukulele before.

The vocals come in purely raw and emotional, referencing Bandidos and Nico from Trench, really doing a great job to tie in this crazy lore and world all into a nice little bow.

But then the song ends with a quick little skit. A deep distorted voice talking to Clancy that ends the album in a haunting, almost cliff hanger like way.

As much praise as I gave this album, listening to it and trying to analyse it made me feel slightly less confident in it. It is still packed full of incredible music and some of my favorite songs ever released. It is just packed full of amazing music, perfect lyrics, and continues to expand on the Twenty One Pilots story that is something that I truly get invested in and love to read about. But even then, I feel like their albums are still perfectly enjoyable and fun even if you don't pay attention to the story they tell.

It is just a perfect album with every song being incredible! So awesome!

Overall Rating: 10/10