Twenty One Pilots Deepens Their Lore with 'Clancy'

Columbus-based alternative band Twenty One Pilots has once again captivated their fans with the release of their latest album, Clancy. Comprised of lead singer Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, the band unveiled Clancy in a unique and electrifying manner during a midnight livestream.

What set this album apart was the decision to accompany each track with its own distinct music video, providing a visual narrative that complemented the soundtrack created by the duo. This approach not only showed Twenty One Pilots' commitment to pushing boundaries within the alternative-pop genre but also offered listeners a multisensory experience that deepened their connection to the music. As fans eagerly immersed themselves in the album's sonic landscape, Clancy solidified Twenty One Pilots' reputation as trailblazers in the music industry.

The album combines a multitude of different sounds that we’ve heard on their previous project and is a perfect description of who this band is. The most heavily discussed aspect of this album is the continued storyline that has spread through their last three albums.

This storyline, known by fans as ‘lore’, started with their 2015 album Blurryface, and has continued through Trench, Scaled and Icy, and now into Clancy. This creative storyline has driven multiple songs and created a very dedicated fanbase that enjoys analyzing the different songs and easter eggs that the band releases.

Twenty One Pilots puts everything they have into everything that they release, as well as strengthening and maintaining their relationship with their fans. The album Clancy opens with their song Overcompensate, a continuation of the storyline from their previous albums.

The track opens with the line “Welcome back to Trench” a callback to the opening of their fifth album Trench. The song continues to tell the story of the title character Clancy, and where he’s been. During their livestream last night, Joseph made sure to reiterate that not all songs on the album are about the story, and some are about other ideas. 

One of the most notable tracks on the album, in my opinion, is “Midwest Indigo”. It’s a bouncy track that reminds me of their sophomore album, Regional at Best. The synth and high snare of the song are reminiscent of early alternative-pop music and help transition into the genre shift between the different tracks on the album. It’s hard to pick out unique and notable tracks in the album because all of them are unique and different. Despite being an album predominantly made up of different genres and alternating sounds, the album as a whole is cohesive. 

The band also released music videos for every song on the album; not visuals, full-length music videos. They range in various productions, but they’re all creative and unique, which is no surprise with this duo. Out of all the music videos, “Lavish” is one that is very unique. It’s a light-hearted video that goes hand in hand with a light-hearted song that Joseph says was written as an experimental track, so they had an experimental music video.

Another notable music video is the one for “The Craving (Jenna’s Version)”. It’s a simple video, with Joseph playing his ukulele and singing in front of a projection of multiple home videos of him and his wife, Jenna, over the years. It’s extremely heartwarming and sweet. Since their marriage in 2015, Joseph has continued to write a song about his wife for each album. 

Overall, Twenty One Pilots is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to music and creativity. The duo has only grown in the last 13 years of them being a band, and continues to undergo growth. They have established themselves as more than just musicians; they are storytellers who tell narratives of hope and struggles, as well as perseverance in their music, inviting listeners to look inward at their own emotions and experiences.

You can check out their new album, Clancy, below as well as see them on the U.S leg of their tour this fall.