21 Pilots - Scaled & Icy ALBUM review & thoughts!

Stop the press everyone because, It's 21 Pilots day as it's 21st May and Scaled and Icy the sixth studio album by Twenty One Pilots is OUT NOW!

This album presents a more upbeat 21 Pilots, the boys are currently in a different stage of their lives with Tyler now being a family man. Upon the initial release of Shy Away I felt like this was a different version of the band but upon additional listens and then following the release of Choker I enjoyed the content more and I could hear and see their universally genre hopping band are still present with their signature sound. Upon the release of Saturday from this album I also felt this is really popping and fresh and gets me in a mood to party because I'm sick of the pandemic and I can imagine they are too and the boys are just looking closer at life through their experiences of the past and of the present and are also looking ahead to the future. I also feel like of course this album they are continuing on from the story they told in Trench, there's many a fan theories about this album and other songs from the band BUT I won't go into them right now and instead I shall be listening now to the track and laying it out flat here and give my thoughts track by track, so sit back with a cuppa t and your finest vinyl player ready to strike the needle down and spin this new album up!

1. Good Day - This sounds very much like a working anthem and it's also a chill song, so you start the song waking up and getting up out of bed and as the track progresses I can just imagine being that guy rushing to work 9-5 in a suit and greeting people on a street because I'm having a good day despite how down the lyrics can also be such as the line "Lost my job, my child and wife, homie just sued me". It's basically a zero fuck's a given anthem despite the upbeat nature of the instrumentals. 

2. Choker - The second song and music video they put out for this album was this tune and it is a tune, literally one of my faves on the album. I find it relatable and deep and very catchy especially the "mmhmm's" 

3. Shy Away - It's a catchy upbeat instrumental track with the chorus also being very catchy, I always find myself singing it and as I mentioned in the opening paragraph, upon first listen I was not fussed and felt this was a different direction but further listens just proved to me how wrong I was and if anything there is a different change in their music as it is mostly upbeat for this album but it's not a bad thing at all, it's different and 21 pilots have always had a unique sound and it's still present here in all these songs on this album. 

4. The Outside - Oh god this is a bop, i had this blasting in the car and the bass on the chorus just made me feel totes gangsta, ya get me?! Seriously I like this one and then THIS HITS YOU WITH TYLERS RAPPING AND IT'S FUCKING SICK! Makes you feel like driving a low rider and popping that baby to the beats! 

5. Saturday - A pop-tastic party song here! So catchy, I can vibe to this with such ease.

6. Never Take It - The way this song grooves reminds me of a U2 song for some reason but hey this is pretty groovy. 

7. Mulberry Street - I really like this one, it flow's so good and it's so chill also the "Keep your bliss" is great and the chorus is just inviting you to sway so much with it. One of my faves on this album, there's a trumpet section that appears and it's just so blues like and it really compliments this track further. 

8. Formidable - This one sounds like an 80s/90s summer pop anthem in it's instrumentals it reminds me of a song or some songs from the past and I can't remember the names right now of those songs but if you know well you know but this is another totally chill windows down on a sunny drive kinda song. The guitar in this song is so just laid back it's lovely. 

9. Bounce Man - Oh man this is such a fun beat! The tune is such a standout and it's a lot of fun I find. I can imagine this being such a fun crowd interaction song too! It makes me smile! I enjoy this song!

10. No Chances - Ok this one sounds like a lost song from Trench. The ominous "we come for you, no chances." and the drop in the upbeat music and the rapping here is just like it should have been on the last album but hey this is a good and interesting track on this album. 

11. Redecorate - Another very interesting one much like the last sounds like it would have fitted to Trench album but still i appreciate this. To me this sounds like it's telling the story of a few people who may be royalty since they talk about making decisions for their people? I find the part with the covering the mirror most interesting as to me it flashes to the old mirror superstition of when a person passes away to cover the mirrors to avoid bad luck and there's a lot of  "i don't want to go" phrases used and the fact someone does not want to redecorate is interesting and this has been an interesting one to close out the album. 

FUN FACT: In 2019, Twenty One Pilots became the first act in US history to have every song on two separate albums certified gold, for 2013’s Vessel and 2015’s Blurryface.

I got a lot of love and appreciation for this album, the boys never disappoint and I feel, well for me anyway that this album came out at the right time when I needed it.

Overall I'd give this album

8/10

"Keep your bliss, there's nothing wrong with this."

Stay Shiny!