Clancy

"Welcome back to Trench." With those words, Twenty One Pilots scholars were sent into the stratosphere, thrilled by the fact that the dense, metaphorical mythology that the duo had been crafting for a decade was back on track after a sneaky "diversion" on 2021s Scaled and Icy. That pop-leaning album had some listeners and critics tricked, but it was later revealed that it was just protagonist Clancy being forced to make a coded call for help that would infiltrate the mainstream. The rabbit hole goes even deeper for those who want to dive in, but for the sake of simplicity and avoiding any misinterpretations about the story, lets focus on the music and leave the lore to the experts. Named after the fearless hero, Clancy returns listeners to the fictional setting explored on the 2018 album of the same name. Much like that effort, this collection is as sonically varied and exploratory, jumping from dramatic, beat-driven electro-hip-hop ("Overcompensate," "Snap Back") to thrilling, joyous pop-punk ("Next Semester," "Midwest Indigo") before landing on a lyrically swirling dub showcase ("Backslide") and acoustic tenderness ("The Craving"). Tyler Joseph and Josh Duns kitchen-sink approach to genre will be no surprise to longtime listeners, and it remains as exciting as it was when they first emerged in 2009. However, despite their return to a familiar locale, this is not Trench 2.0. That permeating tension, high drama, and foreboding is toned down as the guys keep it relatively straightforward, even nostalgic, sounding more like they did on their early records than they have in a while. Additional highlights include the bouncy, dream-pop "Lavish," which is punctuated by hypnotic rap verses, and the energized synth-rock blast "Navigating," which serves as yet another example of why Dun is such an underrated drummer. A gift and a nod to their faithful following, Clancy is almost custom designed to please the diehards. As those fans pore over the material and decipher the clues buried in the lyrics (especially the doozy of a closer "Paladin Strait"), Twenty One Pilots tie a bow on a fascinating narrative that has captured the imagination of a legion of fans around the globe. Fortunately for listeners unaware of the backstory, the songs are reliably catchy and intriguing enough to grab their attention, too. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

『Scaled And Icy』(2021年)から3年ぶりとなる7作目は、10年にわたるコンセプチュアル・シリーズの最終章となるものだそう。そんな背景はさておいてもアップビートな"Overcompensate"での幕開けから間口の広いポップな振り幅は全開で、アクの強いガレージ・ロック"Next Semester"やポップ・パンクの"Midwest Indigo"など多彩なスタイルが楽しめる。
bounce (C)大原かおり