Twenty One Pilot’s fourth album feels guarded and cold after a year of covid isolation
I’ve always considered myself a fan of Twenty One Pilots. I started listening when Regional at Best came out- before the band had signed to a major label. I’ve stood strong by them ever since, but Scaled and Icy has simply failed to meet my somewhat low expectations. The record is full of synth-pop tracks with heavy dose of 80s inspiration. The sound isn’t far off from the dominating indie pop of the moment. But Twenty One Pilots is not the band one looks to for indie pop.
The album opens with Good Day, a cautiously optimistic song full of bouncy piano. The composition and instrumentation are reminiscent of the band’s third album Vessel… But perhaps not as impactful. Tyler Joseph’s vocal performance is bland- his strength has never been his singing, but rather his rapping. Unfortunately, this track (and the album as a whole,) are light on the flows and heavy on the restricted vocal range of Joseph. For an opening track, Good Day offers little in the way of pulling the listener in. It feels almost like an imitation of TøP of days past.
Good Day is immediately followed up by the album’s two promotional singles: Shy Away and Choker. Shy Away is simple: its a track made for pop radio. It has a catchy chorus and a beat that’s meant to allow for some sort of mild dancing. It feels like a direct sequel to the non-album single Level of Concern, released during quarantine. Choker is much of the same, but does benefit from one of Joseph’s only non-sung verses on the album. It feels like a song made to satisfy fans after the public disappointment following the release of Shy Away.
Saturday, only two tracks later on the album, is another formulaic pop song with uncomplicated structure and a dance beat. It does feature a confusing moment that is a phone conversion between Joseph and… someone… about creating music. It doesn’t seem to serve a purpose in the song or the album, and is certainly a fake call. It feels inauthentic, a feeling that doesn’t go away.
The Outside is probably the strongest track on the album- despite it highlighting a disconnect between the fans of the band and the band themselves. The track has a catchy bass line, an earworm chorus, and features a real rap verse! The verse has a nice flow and feels slightly angry. But that’s good! It feels real. Lyrically, the song is about being… uncool? Too cool? Joseph sings about kids trying to “take his vibes,” while also posing the question “Am I on the outside?” The borderline incorrect use of the word ‘vibes’ definitely radiates “How do you do, fellow kids,” energy. Tyler Joseph is in his 30s, married, and has children. This song feels like a desperate attempt to connect to his audience, who have not grown up with him.
Mulberry Street and Bounce Man feel like songs off of a different album. Specifically, an AJR album. They feature layered vocals, hand clap beats, and very direct lyrics. They’re fine songs- they just don’t feel like Twenty One Pilots, of new or old. No Chances is the darkest sounding song of this cycle, and feels very much like it was originally written for Trench. It doesn’t fit into the puzzle of Scaled and Icy.
The album closes on another track that just feels out of place. Redecorate seems to be about Clancy, the protagonist of Trench. It doesn’t have the same upbeat vibes that most of the album has. Instead, it confronts the idea of leaving a place or a stage in life and moving on, having to wonder about what you’re leaving behind and what will happen in your absence. It feels brooding and isolating. It’s a sad note to end on.
Scaled and Icy has layers. They just don’t work well together. It feels like three different projects that were chopped up and mixed into one album. There is no goal, no cohesiveness, and no purpose. Some of the tracks have been described as GAP ad music, grocery store music, or dentist office music. And I couldn’t agree more. The album is somehow incredibly confusing and painfully dull. It feels impersonal and phoned in at times. The usual emotional charge of the band just isn’t present. In a time when people are seeking connection more than ever, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dunn fail to make it happen. Perhaps there is some secret code the TøP stans haven’t cracked yet that will make sense of Scaled and Icy, but until then….
Rating: 2/5
Highlights: The Outside, Choker
Tracks to skip: Saturday, Mulberry Street
Final thoughts: Might be nice to listen to while on laughing gas when getting fillings. Otherwise, listen to Vessel instead.
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