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Twenty One Pilots’ album Trench is a journey through a variety of genres, full of complex, well composed music and intricate messages.
This record, the longest in their discography, breaks industry norms and is thematically distinct from the duo’s prior music.
The album kicks off with “Jumpsuit,” one of the most intense pieces the duo has produced. It leans into hard rock while maintaining their style.
The opener may be polarizing for some, but there are lighter tones between the breakdowns. During the bridge, the loud bass retreats, revealing subdued chords and emotional vocals that are more familiar to the group’s fans.
During the song, Tyler Joseph sings about the anxieties of passing time and approaching change: “I crumble underneath the weight, / pressures of a new place roll my way.”
“Levitate,” the following song that “Jumpsuit” seamlessly fades into, is fast rap with a hard-hitting beat and clever wordplay. This song’s message compares the music industry and pop culture to a vulture, stagnating creativity and picking off the good things in people.
Much like the duo’s other works, Trench includes themes of working to fight mental struggles and becoming stronger over time. Joseph acknowledges the difficulty of living with depression, but also points to various ways that people can improve, such as expressing their creativity and working hard – a focus of “Chlorine”.
The idea is also referenced in “Pet Cheetah,” a song about writer’s block and feeling like time slips by too quickly. It includes the line, “No, I move slow, / I want to stop time, / I’ll sit here ’til I find the problem.”
Another major focus of the album is appreciation towards others and having good support systems. At least four songs are dedicated to friends or family members in Joseph’s life. “Legend” pays tribute to Joseph’s late grandfather, who was an important influence on him.
“You’re a legend in my own mind, / My middle name, / My goodbye,” Joseph sings.
Thanks to Paul Meany, a songwriter who helped compose the album, the mixing is superb. Every song includes complex drum patterns, stereo panning, and pleasing tones.
An emphasis on recorded instruments as opposed to sequenced music is also strong here. Joseph plays bass, piano, ukulele and more throughout the album, while Josh Dun’s stylish drumming adds to every track.
Trench also serves a dual purpose as a concept album, telling a fictional story that ties in with the messaging. The narrative follows Clancy, a prisoner in a city called Dema that serves as a metaphor for depression. His group of rebels, the Banditos, have their successes, but also suffer losses.
Trench does have a few flaws, though. The storyline can be hard to follow for casual listeners, and the spoken-word poetry used in some songs could be seen as uninteresting.
However, Trench’s incredible quality is scarcely tarnished by these issues. It is a one-of-a-kind album with great sounds and lyrics that is worth listening to.
