ACL Fest 2015 Saturday Record Review
Twenty One Pilots
Blurryface (Fueled by Ramen)
Reviewed by Kevin Curtin, Fri., Oct. 2, 2015
For six years, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have accomplished something unthinkable: vaguely Christian, quasi-emo, singer-songwriter pop-rap that works. On fourth LP Blurryface, the Ohioans maintain the miraculous mixture while grappling with pop viability. "Honest, there's a few songs on this record that feel common/ I'm in constant confrontation with what I want and what is poppin'," spits Joseph in dancehall-ish single "Lane Boy." The "Fairly Local" beat recalls Drake and "Doubt" employs heavy Auto-Tune, but these aviators rock honest love on "Tear in My Heart" and inspire equality with "The Judge." Not the clever cut of 2013's Vessel, but still airborne. (4:30pm, Samsung Galaxy stage)