Album Review: Vessel by Twenty One Pilots

When people describe something as "different," and it relates to music, its usually met with a negative connotation. It's a nice way to say, "Yeah I don't really like that, but I'm not going to tell you straight up." When I say its different, I mean just how I said it, it sounds different. Nothing is really comparable to it. Like nothing I've heard before. And that is how I describe Vessel by Twenty One Pilots.

Twenty One Pilots are a two piece band from Columbus, OH. Their sound is a mixture of hip-hop, indie rock and alternative rock. Vessel is their first major release and has done pretty well on the charts. As I mentioned before, I love this album because of how different it is. Different in a great way. It's a perfect blend of the aforementioned genres mixed with emotion and great song writing. Unpredictability is a major factor of the success of this album as well. The first time I heard it, I remember thinking, "that was a left turn out of nowhere" and "where are they going with this?" I find that very exciting when listening to new music. Not knowing where you're going to end up really heightens your senses and makes you listen.

I have a couple favorite tunes from Vessel. First off being Car Radio, track number 5. Car Radio is about how terrifying it could be to be alone. "Sometimes quiet is violent" portrays that point quite well. When you sit in silence and get a chance to think, sometimes the results can be pretty devastating. You can run a gamut of emotions and never find a resolve. This is some pretty powerful stuff and I'm glad they're getting some radio play. Its a lot deeper than a lot of pop out there. I'm also a big fan of The Run and Go which is track number 8. It is one of the least complex songs on the album, in regards to arrangement, but very complex lyrically.

If you are looking for something different and good, give Vessel by Twenty One Pilots a try.

I give it 4.25 out of 5 Burning Lariats.