The songs that defined Summers 2024 were undeniably (unless, of course, you are Billboard) Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” and Chappel Roan’s “Good Luck Babe”.” But now, the leaves are falling, brat summer has officially ended, and it’s time to start harvesting aesthetic songs to define your autumn. Though the album was released in the Spring, if you’re looking for some new songs for your fall playlist, allow me to pitch to you Twenty One Pilots’ newest album: Clancy.

On May 24, 2024, Twenty One Pilots released their 7th album, Clancy, through the intimate setting of a YouTube livestream. Band members Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun hosted the affair in matching pajama sets, encouraging viewers to wear the same. They understood that the honesty of this album would be best appreciated by the fans. During the stream they premiered the music videos they filmed for every song on the album.

Like most Twenty One Pilots albums, Clancy cannot be defined by genre. It cleverly balances the ukulele confessionals that are beloved by fans and the rap-rock tracks that have brought the band commercial success in the past. So whether you remember “Tear in my Heart” or “Heathens” best, anyone who has enjoyed a Twenty One Pilots single in the past will be sure to find some autumnal value in Clancy.

“Record of the year Grammy campaign STARTS NOW” said Twitter user @BFSVERSE, referring to the fifth track of Clancy, “Routines in the Night,” a dark rap track detailing Joseph’s experiences with insomnia. “Routines” is by far the best track on the album. It combines gorgeous lyrics like “How beautiful / the space between / a painful reminder and a terrible dream” with an earworm chorus and second verse that had me dancing carelessly in airports all summer. It’s the perfect song to describe the all-nighters that are sure to take place during the upcoming school year.

Joining “Routines in the Night” on the rap side of the album are “Overcompensate,” “Backslide,” and “Snap Back,” of which my recommendation is “Snap Back,” my immediate favorite off of the album. As implied by the music video, “Snap Back” evokes the change that is associated with the fall.

Looking for pop? “Clancy” has that too. “Midwest Indigo,” “Lavish,” and “At The Risk of Feeling Dumb” provide upbeat additions to the album with hopeful imagery and confidence pervading throughout each.

Still, these tracks do not sacrifice the vulnerability of the album; “Midwest Indigo” is a love letter to growing up in the Midwest (although it’s also cold in Pennsylvania, so I think it applies to us as well). “Lavish” is a diss-track toward the music industry for overlooking the band’s previous album, “Scaled and Icy” (also, penny loafer mention!), and “At The Risk of Feeling Dumb” urges the listener to reach out to his or her friends because you never know what someone is going through under the surface.

For the pure punk rocker, may I offer you “Next Semester,” an indie-rock track that stuns lyrically and sonically. I have not yet recovered from the emotionally charged voice crack on the third chorus’ “I remember,” and this song was a single back in March. The song also brings the back-to-school vibes (or dread), with a sound reminiscent of college rock. For a more haunted and heavy track, I would like to point out “Vignette,” which both has a place on my Halloween playlist and is a poignant commentary on the nature of addiction.

However, if you are looking for a Gilmore Girls acoustic moment, or want to soundtrack a Red (Taylor’s Version) heartbreak, “Clancy” is here to provide.

If Tyler Joseph has learned anything from his career, it is that a ukulele ballad will always, always work out for him, and he places them graciously throughout the album. From the soft ending of “Next Semester,” to the devastatingly devotional “The Craving (Jenna’s Version),” and “Oldies Station,”, the intimate acoustic side of Clancy is guaranteed to both summon tears and make you feel like you are strolling through Stars Hollow.

I would be remiss to recommend this album without discussing its heart, “Oldies Station.” If a single track could explain Clancy, this would be it. “Oldies Station” is a letter from Joseph to himself and the fans, as Joseph said during the livestream, “You guys deserve to know how I’m doing…I just want to say thank you guys, and I was thinking of you when I wrote this.”

“Oldies Station” is direct, mellow, and crushingly honest. It is forgiving and overwhelmingly hopeful, despite the struggle it describes. The song tells the listener about Joseph’s mental state during the year the band spent out of the spotlight while recording “Clancy.” It transcends the usual discussion of mental health, breaking into the anxiety of growing older, the grief of losing a loved one, the impossibility of moving on, and pushing through anyway.

“Clancy” is about creating a cycle, and then learning to break it, and no other song on the album captures this as much as “Oldies Station.” Especially to my fellow rising seniors, I cannot recommend it enough.

“Clancy” is available on all streaming platforms and contains its own cinematic universe in its music videos. If you’re looking for a song to define your autumn, I hope you choose one off of “Clancy.” Additionally, if you’re looking for a concert to attend over the next few months, Twenty One Pilots are currently on the US Leg of The Clancy World Tour.