Production has cut my album in half. The songs are good; the only extra thing I need is a good production. This is just one of the many statements coming from the mouth of musicians. American indie-reggae-electro-dancehall duoTwenty One Pilots does not have this particular problem. Their sound is brought to the perfection. Still, they struggle with a different kind of problem – the songs are not taken care of.
Some tracks reflect supermodern dancehall reggae that avoids communicating emotions. There are many interesting production solutions. Your ears will be curious, no doubt about that. It’s just that you might not be interesting to hear these songs again. For example, Fairy Local is the song they chose for the first single and it bored the shit out of me. Lane Boy and Message Man are also irritating.
With that being said, Stressed Out has managed to peak within top 10 on Billboard Hot 100 for a reason. Catchy vocal melody with unmistakable sound represents what the duo does best. They don’t always do their best. If they did, there would have been more cool tracks such as Tear In My Heart, The Judge and We Don’t Believe What’s On TV. These songs showcase the future of Twenty One Pilots. Unfortunately, their present is still clumsy. These boys are talented, but success requires something more than just a talent.
I don’t remember when was the last time I have heard a full album with so many catchy pop-harmonies and great acoustic solutions that sound so rejecting. Too bad. This could have been the strong candidate for album of the year.
