ATP! Album Review: twenty | one | pilots - Vessel

Columbus based duo twenty | one | pilots was named one of MTV Buzzworthy’s Artists to Watch in 2013, and upon listening to their major label debut "Vessel" it’s pretty darn easy to see why. It opens with the track 'Ode To Sleep', which definitely makes listeners want to do anything but hit the hay with its bass beats, upbeat synth and hip hop influences artfully woven throughout. The track is the perfect intro to an album that is a perfect mainstream introduction to the band. The rest of the album continues in the same vein, boasting electronic sounds, alternative vocals and slick rhymes, each song breathing its own life into the album but still having a cohesive element that allows the effort to flow.

The standout track on "Vessel" is 'Car Radio', which was reworked from their 2011 release for the album. Starting out bare-boned with Tyler Joseph’s raps and synth and Josh Don’s drums, it crescendos until Joseph is screaming and then drops off again tinging the track with a fire that a lot of current releases are missing. This song is literally the musical personification of how badly this duo wants it, and will leave listeners inspired to be just as passionate as them.

Their label, Fueled By Ramen, is known for having well known acts, most recently making it big with fun., but twenty | one | pilots may very well be the label’s greatest find. Bridging the gaps between multiple genres, this group can be marketed to just about every audience. (Save for the country audience, but I’m sure if they tried hard enough, they could work that out.) It’s refreshing, especially given the fact so many artists seem to be cranking out the same ol’, same ol’ lately and sticking with the stringent genre confines given to them by the industry. This band not only serves up a beautiful stylistic blend, but they do it so well that genres that shouldn’t really work together, do. Ultimately, there’s only one thing you really need to know about this album: That you should go out and buy it, ASAP.

4.5/5

Victoria Patneaude

"Vessel" is out now via Fueled by Ramen Records.