Coming off 2021’s “Scaled and Icy,” an upbeat and optimistic change of pace for musical duo Twenty One Pilots – made up of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun – is “Overcompensate,” serving as the leading track and single off the album “Clancy.” It represents both a follow-up to the 2018 album “Trench” and a return to the metaphorical world of Trench and the futuristic city of Dema.
Resuming the story of protagonist Clancy while featuring similar themes of mental health and battles with depression outlined in “Blurryface” and “Trench,” “Next Semester” outlines Joseph’s struggles with panic attacks and depressive symptoms while in college.
Echoing this sentiment, “Backslide,” the third song off the album, reinforces Joseph’s worries of relapsing back into his depressive thoughts, accompanied by a calm demeanor and an emotional chorus.
“Vignette” serves as a direct, yet unique connection to Trench, with lyrics such as “it’s a tribute to zombies of which I’ve become” and “no, not me, it’s for a friend” connecting themes of death, addiction and regret to Clancy’s latest struggles.
Serving as a close to the lore started over nine years before the introduction of “Clancy” in the album “Blurryface,” “Paladin Strait” features Clancy, Torchbearer and the Bandito’s preparing to face off against the antagonists of the plot, the Bishops and Nico, representing Joseph’s struggles with his mental health.
This six-minute and 28-second-long track features a minute of silence accompanied by bird noises, prior to Clancy’s final encounter with Nico, in which Clancy neither wins nor loses. He accepts that his mental health is something with which he must live. This message is prevalent in prior albums, but really resonate with me here, as these struggles never truly go away. It is something you learn to get up and work through every day.
Music videos are available for all 13 tracks off the album, plus an additional video for the single version of “The Craving,” serving as a perfect accompaniment to the lyrics. I recommend giving them a watch if interested, to gain additional insights into each song.
Altogether, I feel that Clancy more than delivers on the expectations I had. As a fan of the lore, the conclusion to the story is satisfying, while providing earworms such as “Overcompensate” and “Next Semester” for those who simply want to hear a good song.
This album is approachable for long-term fans and newcomers alike, spanning multiple genres, there is undoubtedly a song that will resonate with everyone. Although the story of Clancy is over, I am confident this is not the last we will hear from Twenty One Pilots.