For their fifth album, Twenty One Pilots demonstrates a level of maturity on a fantastically constructed album that left a genuine impression on me that I may carry for a long time.
The boys return to what it is that makes them Twenty One Pilots on “Trench.” After their attempt at a more mainstream sound on their previous album, “Blurryface,” Twenty One Pilots was missing the lyrical complexity and out of the ordinary instrumentals they had prior. But with “Trench,” the old Twenty One Pilots strikes back more powerful than ever.
Lyrically, Twenty One Pilots is reaching deeper than they have before, even occasionally speaking directly to the listener in songs like “My Blood” and “Nico and the Niners.” The album delves deep into the thoughts that come with depression and anxiety, and how inescapable these thoughts are for the band’s singer and lead lyricist, Tyler Joseph (hence the name, “Trench”). This makes the albums final song, “Leave the City,” so much more impactful, as it concludes with a message of encouragement: those also stuck in their own trench should look around and see the other faces there with you and remember that you are not alone.
“Trench,” all together, is Twenty One Pilots putting on full display their improvement. With Joseph’s wider vocal range, Dun’s more complex drumming, the unique and exciting backing tracks and hard-hitting lyrics, the boys have made perhaps their best album yet.
The duo has certainly come a long way from producing their first album alone in Joseph’s basement.
