By MAX ASAYESH-BROWN, St. Petersburg High

All it took was seeing Twenty One Pilots’ breakout performance at 97X Next Big Thing to know that they had a big year ahead of them. At NBT they performed early in the morning, setting the mood for the show — but it wouldn’t be surprising if, like Fun., they returned a year later as a headliner.
They gave the audience a preview of Vessel, with songs such as Migraine and Holding on to You. These two selections are terrific exhibitions of the Pilots’ unique sound and style. The duo combines synth pop and rap, along with some other elements, to create something for the most part previously unheard of.

Don’t be confused by the middle-aged men on the album cover, as the real pair is far younger (imagine either of the men pictured doing a backflip off of a piano, or singing the perky, mellow House of Gold).
The genre the Pilots call schizoid pop and Tyler Joseph’s vocals are two things that are invaluable to each other, and I can’t get enough of them. Joseph strikes an interesting balance between holding strong notes and snapping lyrics so fast it nears rap music.

Then there’s also the excellent display of dexterity with their respective instruments (specifically prevalent toward the end of Car Radio, bringing the whole thing together — but if you’re lucky enough to catch the duo live, keep an eye out for an absorbing drum battle between Joseph and Dun).

I expect big things to come in 2013 for Twenty One Pilots. It’s rare to see two artists bring such a new take, yet remain so comfortable and consistent in it.