Twenty One Pilots – Breach

With Breach, Twenty One Pilots are closing the book on a story they’ve been building for years and somehow, they manage to sound more energized than ever while doing it. The album still plays in their signature space of emotional depth, multiple genres and slight weirdness, but this time, there’s a sharper edge, rock n roll feel, and a sense that they know, that we know, that they know what they’re doing with their music.

From the first track, “Overcompensate”, you get that old school twenty one pilots vibe. You’ll hear fast verses, catchy hooks, and lyrics that really hit home. There’s also maturity here. The lead singer, Tyler Joseph, sounds more self aware, more direct, and a little more willing to admit when he’s burned out. In songs like “One Way” and “Backslide” you can hear his inner conflict and intensity without sounding too clean.

Musically, Breach is all over the place but in a good way. One moment it’s synth, heavy, and glitchy and the next it’s big drums and raw guitars. “Next Semester” feels like it could’ve lived on their 2015 album Blurryface, while “Midwest Indigo” is personal to this album. What really stands out is how the album ties up the band’s long running Dema storyline. There are tons of little lyrical callbacks, lore heavy moments, and shout outs to fans who’ve been deep in the rabbit hole for years. I never got to that point in my journey of liking Twenty One Pilots but even if you weren’t, these themes are made for anyone that may feel trapped and are in search of a purpose.

Is it their best album? That’s up for debate obviously, but it might be their boldest. And in doing that, it might also be the most honest thing Twenty One Pilots has ever made. Breach is a great album for casual listeners, people who have been fans since the beginning, and moderate listeners like myself. My favorite album of the year so far.

Overall rating: 9/10