Twenty One Pilots - Twenty One Pilots

Twenty One Pilots is the now popular Twenty One Pilots' self titled debut album, released December 29, 2009. It features bassist Nick Thomas and drummer Chris Salih before they left the band in 2011, and before the now drummer, Josh Dun, joined. This album I would say is far more raw than the others. It was recorded in a basement studio, and before they started playing at anything bigger than small local venues and bars. Just by looking at the videos from this era, you can tell how cathartic of an experience it was for the members, and for the audience involved. The lyrics are more poems than anything, and tell stories with metaphors and intense imagery. I think the most emotionally raw part of this album would be the vocals. Half the time it's just the lead singer, Tyler Joseph, screaming, and the other half is him rapping. That's almost not an exaggeration. Anyways, even though it's comprised of rapping, screaming, voice cracks, and otherwise, it doesn't feel like rap or hip hop or screamo. It's something else entirely, which makes it hard to pin a genre to. My favorite track off of this album is probably Addict With a Pen, with Taxi Cab as a close second. They're both about Tyler's struggle with faith, which I find relatable. They also feature my two favorite raps from Twenty One Pilots songs. Both were beautiful live, but I'm going to have to say Addict With a Pen was better. While it did seem scripted, it felt more personal because he just sat crossed legged on the floor as he sang. It has to be scripted when you're playing at this scale though, I guess. Anyways, this is a great album and I give it 4.5/5 stars.