Tyler and Josh had smash success with their last two albums Blurryface and Trench; being nominated for three Grammy’s winning one is a lot of pressure. 

The band has spent over a year on this album, and it’s certainly paid off. Starting off this new era is Trash, the lovable dragon on the front of the album. He gets a solid 10. He’s inspired by a small blue toy dragon Tyler had while writing the album.

Scaled And Icy is a play on Scaled Back and Isolated as this album was written and recorded during the lockdown. I should also note that Scaled And Icy is an anagram for “Clancy Is Dead,” which loosely ties the random title to the universe Tyler has created. Also, to be noted, Sai is the name of an Okinawan weapon that can be found around the album’s artwork and other promotional material. 

The album, artwork included, is much happier and brighter than the rest of their catalogue. It ties nicely into their work and their deeper lore, which is fascinating to look into. It’s a whole universe, and I highly recommend going down that rabbit hole.

Starting with Good Day, Tyler dances on the keys in this jaunty song that is reminiscent of Relient K’s Can’t Complain or Passion Pit’s I’ll Take A Walk. The lyrics almost contrast the happy tone of the song; while not my favourite on the album, it is an excellent start. 

Choker, the second song on the album, is easily one of my favourites, and according to Spotify and Last.fm I’m not alone as it’s the second most listened to track. The way that’s it’s mixed, the breakdowns for the chorus, the way the song hit me with the lyric “I see no volunteers to co-sign on my fears, I’ll sign on the line.” It reminded me of Twenty One Pilots’ earlier work on their self-titled and Regional At Best, specifically the song Addict With A Pen.

Shy Away, the first single they released from their album and easily the most popular from the album, with a second version already released. It’s such an incredible song; the guitar rhythm is just as catchy as the keys and the chorus. The song just makes you want to dance and sing along to the song. The breakdown in the song with the added screaming behind Tyler’s singing seals the deal for me; the song is as perfect as they come and is bound to be overplayed and loved. Calling it now, it’ll be the first to hit a hundred million streams on this album.

The Outside, a song you have to nod your head along. Drive around with the top off and the windows down; it’s a great summer song. Tyler knows; he KNOWS what you’re doing “up and down their nodding,” and you can’t stop cause this song is just so groovy! I know I’ve said the mix on the other songs is well done, but you have to understand. Tyler and his producers/mixers/masterers NAILED IT. If this album isn’t nominated for a Grammy for best engineering, I will be surprised. 

Saturday, there isn’t much I can say about this song. The first time I heard it, I thought my internet froze towards the end. It nearly gave me a heart attack, thinking I couldn’t listen to the rest of the album. The disco dance vibe is similar to last year’s Level Of Concern; co-producer Paul Meany shines through on this track with his love of sweeping pads and tones. I can almost picture him dancing while helping to make the song. Incidentally, he also worked on Level Of Concern.

Never Take It, while a great song, has some almost simplistic lyrics as the song (in my opinion) criticizes the propaganda machines that are new media organizations. The song and guitar solo are still enjoyable, but the song still has a filler feel. 

Mulberry Street has that jaunty bouncing piano with a lovely breakdown sequence in the middle. It’s one of the best songs on the album and just like The Outside you have to nod along and sing along to this. While listening to this song I have accidentally walked sideways into my dog multiple times because I’ve gotten lost in the brilliance of this song.

Formidable, as with every other Twenty One Pilots album, they include a love song. Formidable being the one for this album, it’s a lovely song and is pleasant to listen to, but it feels like filler. I’m not one to skip Twenty One Pilots’ songs, and while it’s still a happy tone to the song, it just feels different than the others. You think about a specific person while listening to this song, and if you’re not in the mood, you skip it, and I can’t blame you.

Bounce Man, it’s a fun song. Tyler sings of a friend (probably Josh) who is wanted for something. He trusts his friend didn’t do anything wrong and is willing to help him out by giving him “a couple bands.” It shows the band doesn’t take themselves too seriously, and I love it when a band does that; silly songs are amazing (and not just Larry’s). It’s a great song but ranks middle of the pack for me. 

No Chances, if you were expecting something similar to their previous works, you came looking for this song. The gang vocals are reminiscent of their Blurryface era, while the song as a whole switching from dark to less dark sounding reminds me of Vessel’s Ode To Sleep. The chanting also reminds me of being at high school games where one side chants across the field to the other team. Great/10 song.

Redecorate, the album’s final song is about suicide. Specifically, about what they would leave behind, Tyler had this to say of the song. “I had a friend of mine whose son passed away and they would keep his room the same way that he had left it. I remember thinking how crazy powerful a story that is, and how it makes me wonder, like ‘what will people do with my stuff?’ It can actually bring you back down to earth, make sure that you don’t make any horrible decisions. I’m realising now how difficult it is too important, but this song is really importnat to me. I love messaging of it, and I hope that our fans hear what it is I’m trying to say in it. Because it is a bit delicate, but it’s one of my favourite tracks, and it’s pretty powerful if you let it.”

I’ve personally seen this happen, and it’s heartbreaking. It’s a touching song that makes you think and is a perfect close to the album.

Overall I think this album is quite the departure and experimental compared to the rest of their catalogue. However, there’s something here for everyone; the tunes are catchy, it dives deeper and expands their universe. You will enjoy this album if you’re a casual fan or a die-hard part of the skeleton clique. It’s an album that screams, “we have more in the tank”. If this album or one of its songs isn’t nominated for a Grammy, I will be surprised. 

I give the album 9 EMU’s out of 10, near-perfect, in my opinion.