Album Review: Blurryface - Twenty One Pilots
Raw and vulnerable, Twenty One Pilots’ Blurryface puts every last drop of emotion into the arduous task of battling insecurities. The Ohio-based duo, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun, draw from personal struggles to create upbeat tracks that shroud dark and thoughtful lyrics.
The ever-present apparition of Blurryface, Joseph’s criticising alter ego, appears throughout the record as the deep voiced manifestation of his self-doubts. While Joseph attempts confidence in ‘Fairly Local’, Blurry steps in to state, “this song will never be on the radio”. The record isn’t a concept album, but its themes of feeling inadequate resurface in part through every track save for pop ballad ‘Tear in My Heart’, where Blurry is stifled by affection.
While the band’s previous record encompassed these deep-set feelings as well, Vessel embodied hopelessness and depression. Blurryface still recognizes these thoughts, yet shows growth from the 2013 record through questioning right and wrong, as well as occasional optimism, Joseph reaching for solace in the presence of a saviour called ‘you’: “I need to know that when I fail, you’ll still be there.”
Musical growth is also apparent on the record, shuffling through genres of electronic hip-hop, to soft ukulele and even reggae, but it doesn’t feel disjointed. The duo has become known for their ‘genre-melting’ techniques, forcing the uncommon to merge by creating whatever mood is needed to encapsulate that moment in time. Opening track ‘Heavydirtysoul’ begins with quick verses before fading into an upbeat pop tune, while others like ‘Ride’ have a mellow dub vibe before the buoyant rap, but each has a unique fusion.
The lyrics are cleverly crafted, interwoven within one another and cloaked with double meanings. Rhyming metaphors refer to relatable human struggles – wanting to be unique verses wanting to fit the parameters of the world – so while Joseph is writing on a personal level, the words envelop their audience. He forces the industry behind his success into question as well as his ability to attain that success in the first place, all the while calling for help.
