Album Review | Twenty One Pilots "Scaled And Icy" (A colorful mess)

In the new day and age of bands and artists experimenting and expanding their creativity and striving to become even more creative, there is something to be said about when that creativity get's lost in translation. As for Twenty One Pilots; a creative musical duo who have been expanding their creative pallet for years now; they have been shifting their career with defining moments all over the map, but it begs the question as to what and why that creativity has landed us at their new record "Scaled And Icy". A record that can only be described as a wonderful and colorful mess that feels like it's lost in it's own world.

When the term "colorful mess" is used don't take it as a downside as to why the record is bad or anything of the sort; it's just something that can best be described for this album and the contexts behind it. The record deals with topics that have been very prominent throughout the past couple of years as the record focuses on loneliness and isolation and trying to make the best out of it, and while that's a fine sentiment to have; there are sadly times where those sentiments feel out of place and disingenuous.

One thing to note here about this record is the use of guitars as this record is the first record in TOP history to use guitars as a prominent feature on the record as Tyler Joseph taught himself how to play the guitar during the covid-19 pandemic and while that is a cool feature in theory, you can tell that some of the chord progressions are a bit formulaic and predictable. But besides the use of guitars is the usual fixings that make a TOP record so enjoyable and that is their transitions from gritty piano-rock ballads to very structured and well crafted hip-hop hooks that definitely prominent on "Scaled And Icy" but it's the other elements that make this seem like an after thought than anything.

Musically, this is a TOP album at it's purest with additional elements of more "pop-friendly" hooks while also adding more "rockier" elements that try to differentiate themselves from the track list; but, like what was stated before; these elements feel out of place in spots that begs the question as to what they were going for here as the record delves into elements of their previous releases as well as elements of The 1975, The Killers, Half•Alive, and even The Postal Service and 90's hip-hop, makes for an experience that feels all over the place and in tern "a colorful mess".

The record's opener 'Good Day' is fine enough opener that will remind fans of the earlier eras of Vessel and Blurryface.

'Choker' is an okay moment that kinda feels like it's trying to do too much in such little time, while also trying to add as much "TOP" material that it can resulting in an overall messy experience.

'Shy Away' which was the first single and the first taste of the new era is a fantastic track that brings the more 'rockier' edge and makes it work resulting in an alt-pop smash.

'The Outside' is another track that brings all the worlds together creating a more reggae styled approach to the alt-pop sound cultivating in a pop-rock hit.

'Never Take It' is a moment that is definitely a shake up in the track list that paves it's own road by being more in line with a Grandson song than anything else, but props to the band for making the sound their own and making a short but memorable moment that would turn any rock fans head.

'Mulberry Street' is a moment that will make TOP fans shake their heads as the track feels more in line with a track that would have been crafted by someone like AJR or Lovelytheband, cultivating in a mixed bag that does not hold any semblance of a good or well crafted pop song.

'Bounce Man' is a laughable track that does not do itself any favors as the refrain "You should bounce, bounce, bounce, man" becomes irritating and monotonous.

And 'Redecorate' is another moment that does the "new sound" right by connecting all the dots and doing the "TOP" sound justice resulting in one of the more memorable moments on the record and closing the record off in traditional "TOP" fashion.

In closing, "Scaled And Icy" feels like it wants to do something great and it does have the pieces in place to make a fantastic record, but the results of this janky puzzle makes for an otherwise unremarkable experience.

Twenty One Pilots are an phenomenal band that have shown us time and time again that they can create art with the right tools in place, but as for "Scaled And Icy" it doesn't quite make the cut. - Samuel Cook

Rating: 3/5