Earlier this year, Twenty One Pilots released the excellent Blurryface. A genre bending record, it contained a lot of different styles including hip-hop, techno, and indie-pop. Lyrically there was a darker undertone, discussing topics such as stress and anxiety. These were delivered with a deep emotional connection that related to a lot of people. It helped boost their popularity and showed a mature sound. Two years previously, they released Vessel, their major label debut on Fueled by Ramen. It is an equally wonderful album, which like Blurryface, set the band apart from their contemporaries to break the conventional rules of rock music. It’s worth noting that some of the songs on Vessel are re-recorded from the bands’ unreleased album Regional at Best.
Opening with the techno swirl of ‘Ode to Sleep’, there is a slight influence of Linkin Park. It features singer Tyler Joseph rapping about feeling happy one minute and then sad the next “I go up, up, up, up, up to the ceiling / Then I feel my soul start leaving like an old man’s hair receding”, before transitioning into an upbeat chorus. This shows off Joseph’s vocal abilities, which are slightly reminiscent of Matt Bellamy. Up next is ‘Holding On To You’. It is a strong piece of songwriting both musically and lyrically, with some clever wordplay: “Is it time to move our feet to an introspective beat / It’s not the music that bumps hearts, it’s the hearts that make us beat”.
This continues in ‘House of Gold’, which incorporates a ukulele. A song written about Joseph’s mum, it is thought provoking and beautiful. Vocally it has elements of Muse, while lyrically it contains a touching promise: “I will make you queen of everything you see / I’ll put you on the map, I’ll cure you of disease”. The transition from this track into ‘Car Radio’ is perfect and flows beautifully. The latter track is about a car radio being stolen, the protagonist’s anxious feelings being brought out in vivid detail. The simple piano progression sets the tone for the album and is a personal highlight.
Up next, ‘Semi Automatic’ is more upbeat, with faster paced drumming from Joshua Dun. The infectious synthesizers are reminiscent of MGMT. ‘Screen’ is another introspective track, enhanced by a lovely ukulele and a soft piano. It is about encouraging people to be themselves, making the listener feel positive and empowered.
There are some more melodic and upbeat moments, for example the hummable ‘The Run and Go’, featuring a really strong vocal performance. ‘Guns For Hands’ is uplifting and demonstrates the band’s diversity as it effortlessly switches from EDM to a hip-hop style beat.
Admittedly, Vessel does not flow as well as Blurryface because some of the transitions between the tracks can feel disjointed. Despite this, it’s a strong emotional album that set Twenty One Pilots on the path to bigger things.
Words by Ermis Madikopoulos