![]() But it’s not until after that, that Twenty One Pilots finally show what material their latest record is truly made of with the otherworldly refreshing ‘The Outside’, which stuns with vibey, indie-inspired guitars and lands the ultimate hit once we get to Joseph’s cool rap that takes the track to new heights. Dripping with striking electronic guitars (a first for the duo, as Tyler taught himself to play the guitar over the summer in 2020) and racing through a meticulous mix of sounds and genres while drummer Josh hits the beats in just the right ways, both songs serve as anthems of this new, poppy era. What follows are the two previously released singles ‘Choker’ and ‘Shy Away’, which take a step back in time and give a nod to the band’s first label outing ‘Vessel’ and their earliest record ‘Regional At Best’. Written from within a headspace in which singer Tyler, who solely penned every song on the album and produced most of them in his home studio in Columbus, imagined himself losing his wife Jenna, his one-year-old daughter Rosie as well as his job – “Lost my job, my wife and child / Homie just sued me / Shoot my life in shoot-em-up style”. With birds singing in the background, the nightmare dressed as a fairy tale in disguise, represents a stage of grief the artist could see himself get stuck in – one where he keeps telling himself and everyone around him that he is fine, that everything happens for a reason, clearly being in denial of how he is falling into pieces on the inside. ![]() Unsurprisingly, the track embodies what Twenty One Pilots have expertly mastered over the years – blissful instrumentals layered over dark, deeply personal lyrics. While the record might sound lofty and bright at first, its opener, the bouncy ‘Good Day’ takes it on itself to prove everyone wrong within the first three minutes of the album’s runtime. But just like the album’s cover star, the mega-dragon Trash, ‘Scaled And Icy’ has a lot more to tell than what first meets the eyes and ears. Gone are the days of darkness, anxiety and emotional distress, while a new era full of summery vibes and fun times has taken their place. Bursting with gleeful guitar lines, happy beats from drumming powerhouse Josh Dun, sweet ukulele strokes and singer Tyler Joseph’s sugary, haunting vocals trailing every track like a sleek snake, ‘Scaled And Icy’ takes a leap from the group’s previous releases. As an anagram for “Clancy is dead”, a character that was introduced in ‘Trench’ – as well as the world of Dema and its dark, devilish rulers, the Bishops, and the tireless group of fighters, the Banditos (also considered as the fanbase) – ‘SAI’ is dripping with lore and new details of a story that has kept TØP’s fans on their toes for years and is only waiting to be unpacked.Īt a first glance, the Ohio-based duo’s sixth full-length venture looks and sounds unlike anything the band has ever released into the world before. What was once started in 2015 with their stellar album ‘Blurryface’ and then taken on and expanded in their high-concept record ‘Trench’, has now found its new home in their newest release ‘Scaled And Icy’, and, looking at the surprisingly brightly pink and blue coloured exterior, also put on a few new shades. And while being bound to a fictional storyline would put restrictions on most bands, it has according to the Columbus duo only given them even more freedom and set them loose from any limits. Known and especially loved for by their enormously dedicated fanbase the Clique, Twenty One Pilots have made a name for themselves not just for their outstandingly well-crafted musical outings, but also for their knack for creating stories and packing more than just one hidden meaning into their albums and songs. In a world where everything feels scaled back and isolated (pun intended), the band’s latest hypnotic release ‘Scaled And Icy’ proves to be everything but. But if there is one band that has never shied away from grand endeavours, it’s Twenty One Pilots. And that gets especially difficult when a global pandemic puts just about the whole music industry on hold and engulfs everyone in a state of sorrow and dread. ![]() Redefining your sound as a band or an artist is never an easy pursuit.
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