Regional At Best
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''Regional at Best'' is the second studio album by the American band
Twenty One Pilots Twenty One Pilots is an American musical duo from Columbus, Ohio. Initially a band, the group was formed in 2009 by lead vocalist Tyler Joseph along with Nick Thomas and Chris Salih, who both left in 2011. Since their departure, the line-up h ...
, and its first as the core duo of
Tyler Joseph Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. Across his career he has r ...
and
Josh Dun Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
. Self-released on July 8, 2011, it was the band's final
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record before being signed to Fueled by Ramen in 2012, and has since been removed from circulation. Critics compared ''Regional at Best'' to the band's 2009 self-titled debut album and felt that it set a new basis for the style and tone of future albums. Several ''Regional at Best'' songs such as "
Car Radio Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the occupants. Such systems are popularly known as car stereos. Until the 1950s, it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions si ...
", " Holding On to You" and "
Guns for Hands "Guns for Hands" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released as a single only in Japan. It was originally recorded for their second studio album, '' Regional at Best'' (2011), and was later re-recorded for ...
" were re-recorded for Twenty One Pilots' next album, their 2013 major-label debut, '' Vessel''.


Background and development

Twenty One Pilots was formed in 2009 by high school friends
Tyler Joseph Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. Across his career he has r ...
, Nick Thomas, and Chris Salih. The trio built a regional following across
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and the
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with constant and energetic touring, shrewd use of interactive social media, and connecting with fans on a grassroots level. They self-released their eponymous debut album of what Neil Z. Yeung of
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
characterized as
rap Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates " rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backin ...
-infused, high-tech
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
in December 2009 before Thomas and Salih left the band in 2011. Frontman Tyler Joseph recruited replacement drummer
Josh Dun Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
before the release of ''Regional at Best'' and Twenty One Pilots continued as a duo. According to Ali Shutler of ''Alternative Press'', as the band shifted lineups, Twenty One Pilots effectively became Joseph's solo project by the time ''Regional at Best'' was made. Joseph described ''Regional at Best'' in an interview with ''
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'' as something he did himself and a "glorified
mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...
that we used as a background to solidifying fans". He described the recording process: "I sat down in my studio, and man, I cranked out songs", noting that he didn't "know the ins and outs of being a professional
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". Joseph would put together a song's music, using replacement and
MIDI Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
to help him find the sound he was looking for, and then lay down vocals. Like Twenty One Pilots' 2009 self-titled record, ''Regional at Best'' consisted of 14 songs recorded unprofessionally in a home studio.


Composition

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic felt that the album contained apparent hints of Twenty One Pilots' "genre-busting style that became their calling card in the years that followed". Tyler White of
Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic (abbreviated as Sputnik) is a music website that publishes music reviews and news entries. The site hosts both professional and amateur content, covering metal, punk, indie, rock, hip-hop, pop and other styles. Its reviews are us ...
said that ''Regional at Best'' saw Twenty One Pilots take a new approach to their sound, writing that the crossover of pop,
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
and
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was still present from the first album with increase in dependence on
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and
synths A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis an ...
, experimenting deeper into the realm of pop/alternative and utilizing the synths as the overall melodies of the album. White found that changing keys are often a definitive attribute of the album. ''Regional at Best'' was the first album from Twenty One Pilots as the core duo of Joseph and Dun. White noticed an exponential increase of drumming with the addition of Dun, adding more complexity to the mix and enhancing the groove exhibited throughout the album by utilizing quick
hi-hat A hi-hat (hihat, high-hat, etc.) is a combination of two cymbals and a pedal, all mounted on a metal stand. It is a part of the standard drum kit used by drummers in many styles of music including rock music, rock, popular music, pop, jazz, an ...
bursts, fitting fills, and experimentation in
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driven beats complimented by Joseph's lyrics, vocals, and rapping. White wrote that Joseph's lyrics call out to others "on a personal level, asking questions of identity, fear, and human nature when brought upon troubling circumstances", while his vocals in choruses hit higher notes and embrace wider diversity in range compared to the former self-titled album. White said that the album shows an ironically happy sound and wrote that the album's songs generally follow the same composition of beats, with synths providing harmony in the background and sometimes leading the musical assault, and an underlying bass groove backing up the melodies.


Songs

"
Guns for Hands "Guns for Hands" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots, released as a single only in Japan. It was originally recorded for their second studio album, '' Regional at Best'' (2011), and was later re-recorded for ...
" is a hopeful
indie-pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and ...
anthem on the topic of suicide which ''
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'' called "oddly happy-sounding". ''Alternative Press'' wrote that the song features a bouncing
reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...
vibe the duo would explore in greater detail on ''
Blurryface ''Blurryface'' is the fourth studio album by the American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. It was released on May 17, 2015, through Fueled by Ramen. Lyrically, the album incorporates themes of mental health, insecurity, doubt, and religion. It con ...
'' (2015). It was noted by White for Dun's drumming skill alongside the next track, " Holding On to You", which ''Alternative Press'' thought fully realized the elements of the band's character, musical methodology and pop sensibility. The song was described by ''cleveland.com'' as an "emotional force of nature that Tyler Joseph clung to during one of the toughest times in his career", and it subsequently became the first single from '' Vessel'' (2013). The five-minute "
Ode to Sleep "Ode to Sleep" is a song by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Originally recorded and self-released for their second studio album, '' Regional at Best'' (2011), the song was later re-recorded for their third album, '' Vessel'' (2013) as bo ...
" opens with fast paced raps over a hard
electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...
beat before switching into
pop-punk Pop-punk (also punk-pop, alternatively spelled without the hyphen) is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop music, pop. It is defined by its fast-paced, energetic tempos, and emphasis on classic pop s ...
, blending dark lyricism with buoyant instrumentals and a building beat. It was described by ''cleveland.com'' as the "ultimate Twenty One Pilots track" and "essentially two songs combined in one", whilst White mentioned that it contained one off Joseph's best rap performances in the band's history. ''Alternative Press'' thought that the song captured Twenty One Pilots "at a turning point, signaling that they were entering another level", and was re-recorded as the opener of ''Vessel''. "Slowtown" was criticized by ''Alternative Press'' for Joseph sounding "like he came in third in the local Killers karaoke contest every Thursday in Columbus". "
Car Radio Vehicle audio is equipment installed in a car or other vehicle to provide in-car entertainment and information for the occupants. Such systems are popularly known as car stereos. Until the 1950s, it consisted of a simple AM radio. Additions si ...
" is an "uncanny mix of
alt-pop Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and electronic hip-hop" which features a piano driving its progressions and a
rave A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
instrumental section. The song launched the band into the mainstream when it was recorded for ''Vessel'', earning them a performance slot at the
2014 MTV Movie Awards The 2014 MTV Movie Awards were held on April 13, 2014, at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, California. The show was hosted by late-night personality Conan O'Brien. The nominees were announced on the morning of March 6, 2014. Zendaya, Tyler Pose ...
. According to White, the songs "Forest" and "Glowing Eyes" apply the use of higher
keys Key, Keys, The Key or The Keys may refer to: Common uses * Key (cryptography), a piece of information needed to encode or decode a message * Key (instrument), a component of a musical instrument * Key (lock), a device used to operate a lock * ...
and layered vocals, giving an upbeat note to melancholy lyrics. The former was described as "pop-tastic existentialism" by ''Alternative Press'', highlighting the lyrics "Hands held higher/We'll be on fire/Singing songs that nobody wrote" as presenting a more troubled worldview towards humanity than that of death-metal bands. It features a rap performance by Joseph which White praised. "Glowing Eyes" has Joseph sing lower registers in the verses while tacking higher ranges in the chorus. Lyrically, the "sugary sweet" song talks about stamping out depressive thoughts and was named "one of the band's happiest-sounding releases" by ''cleveland.com''. ''Alternative Press'' called the song "A premature take on growing old (and possibly death)", comparing it with ''Blurryface'''s "
Stressed Out "Stressed Out" is a song written and recorded by American musical duo Twenty One Pilots. Produced by Mike Elizondo and recorded at studios in Los Angeles and London, it was released as a promotional single from their fourth studio album, ''Blu ...
". A "starkly unique offering" from early Twenty One Pilots, "Kitchen Sink" features "a dynamic blend of Joseph's vocals and layered instrumentals", with
erhu The (; ) is a Chinese two-stringed bowed musical instrument, more specifically a spike fiddle, that is sometimes known in the Western world as the ''Chinese violin'' or a ''Chinese two-stringed fiddle''. It is used as a solo instrument as ...
violin and "synth boops" in its instrumentation, lush choruses, as well as a verse from Tyler Joseph's "lightning-tongued" brother Zack summarizing that the space in the head only gets weirder to navigate as you get older. According to White, it features Twenty One Pilots' "rooted downcast mood" and leaves the listener questioning his motives of Joseph's writing, wondering whether his mind is okay and what he means. "Kitchen Sink" has garnered speculation on its meaning; a common consensus is that
sink A sink (also known as ''basin'' in the UK) is a bowl-shaped plumbing fixture for washing hands, dishwashing, and other purposes. Sinks have a tap (faucet) that supplies hot and cold water and may include a spray feature to be used for fas ...
s are a dumping ground, and the song represents that emotionally. Yeung said that the song features some of the deepest lyrics in the band's catalog, and ''Alternative Press'' considered it one of ''Regional at Best'''s many standouts as well as a fan favorite. A performance of "Kitchen Sink" was included in a 2017 compilation of Joseph's best live vocals. "Anathema" was called "possibly the most underrated breakup song of the last 10 years" by ''Alternative Press'', complimenting its sentiment, while " Lovely" was criticized for Joseph's use of a
vocoder A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''vo''ice and en''coder'') is a category of speech coding that analyzes and synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption or voice transformation. The vocoder wa ...
. "Ruby" is Joseph's ode to a girl which features frantic sequencer parts and unhinged screaming that ''Alternative Press'' called "truly something for new listeners to behold". Yeung called "Ruby" a "heartwarming ode" worth seeking out by fans. "Trees" is Twenty One Pilots' signature show-ending song; its build climbs a catchy synth melody with singalong lyrics into an "explosive, powerful punctuation mark". ''Alternative Press'' called it "as celebratory as a high school pep rally, your favorite sports team winning a championship and the last time you were kissed really hard. All at once." "Be Concerned" marks a return to the band's "downcast mood" and features a verse from Columbus MC Jocef. ''Alternative Press'' opined that, given the song's pop-crossover potential, it was curious that it didn't get a placement on ''Vessel''. The final track on ''Regional at Best'', "Clear", includes a synthesizer intro that "could've been lifted off a
Mindless Self Indulgence Mindless Self Indulgence (often referred to as MSI) is an American electropunk band formed in New York City in 1997. Their music has a mixed style which includes punk rock, alternative rock, electronica, techno, industrial, hip hop, and b ...
LP" and a chorus ending with a "vibe similar to
My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance is an American Rock music, rock band from New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way. They are considered one of ...
's '
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'". ''Alternative Press'' called it "an exclamation point to the higher-profiled adventures Joseph and Dun would embark on."


Release and promotion

''Regional at Best'' was
self-released Self-publishing is an author-driven publication of any media without the involvement of a third-party publisher. Since the advent of the internet, self-published usually depends upon digital platforms and print-on-demand technology, ranging fr ...
independently on July 8, 2011; Twenty One Pilots paid a company to print the CDs and had them ready for people to buy at shows at their merch table. Dun explained in a 2023 variety stream that the band put out their independent records so that they would have music to play live: "At that time, we were kinda like, 'Let's just put something together – that way we can play shows.' And so it wasn't a professionally recorded record; it was really just material to go and play." Joseph added that ''Regional at Best'' was "Something for people to buy to get enough gas money to get to the next show!" The album's title was in reference to Twenty One Pilots' popularity in Ohio compared to everywhere else, with twelve people having shown up to their first out-of-state show in June 2011. According to c''leveland.com'', Joseph was contemplating giving up on music around the time of ''Regional at Best'''s release. Twenty One Pilots expanded their audience with a series of videos made by their friend Mark Eshelman and caught the attention of
major label "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...
s as their brand grew; they signed to Fueled by Ramen in 2012, at the time when they had already released ''Regional at Best''. As such, ''Regional at Best'' was the band's final independent record. Twenty One Pilots had written more songs when they were ready to release their first professionally-done, major-label record, ''Vessel'', through Fueled by Ramen. They were asked by the label if they wanted to release ''Regional at Best'' as it was or get the album
remaster A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether Mastering (audio), audiophonic, Cinematography, cinematic, or Videography, videographic. The resulting product is said to be remastered. The term ...
ed but declined, instead taking songs from the album to re-record for ''Vessel'' alongside their new tracks. The ''Regional at Best'' songs "Ode to Sleep", "Holding On to You", "Car Radio", "Guns for Hands", "Trees" and the bonus track " House of Gold" were re-recorded for ''Vessel,'' featuring much of the same programming and vocals. Yeung cited behind-the-scenes details related to song rights and distribution for why ''Regional at Best'' was discontinued, with Ali Shutler of ''
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'' saying some of the tracks had been "pretty much removed from the internet entirely" and that "the mystery means physical copies of the record now sell for a few hundred dollars". ''
Kerrang! ''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'''s Emily Carter wrote that a listener has to "resort to
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to hear the likes of 'Slowtown', 'Anathema' and 'Clear'." ''
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'' reported in 2016 that the album sold 3000 copies and has been out of print since 2012. On July 6, 2017, several posts from Twenty One Pilots' social media accounts containing the image of a red eye contained abstruse lyrical messages from ''Regional at Best'', ''Vessel'' and ''Blurryface'', teasing the album cycle of ''
Trench A trench is a type of digging, excavation or depression in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a swale (landform), swale or a bar ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or trapping ...
'' (2018). In an October 8, 2018
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giving insight on the recently released ''Trench'', a user asked if ''Regional at Best'' would ever see an official release, to which the band responded "Regional of what?", leaving its probability unpromising. On February 3, 2023, Twenty One Pilots released a ''Vessel'' 10th anniversary deluxe box set which included the ''Regional at Best'' songs "Forest", "Glowing Eyes", "Kitchen Sink" and "Lovely" on Side D.


Critical reception

Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic called ''Regional at Best'' an "oddity" in the duo's catalog and "a fun rarity worth seeking out for hardcore fans". Yeung felt that it was nice to enjoy the album's tracks "without the weight of the mythology that began to take shape with their 2015 breakthrough, ''Blurryface''" and wrote that ''Regional at Best'' is "a special one – if it can be found." Sputnikmusic's Tyler White called the album "pretty great" and felt that it contained some of Joseph's best rap performances in the band's history and provided a new basis for the style and tone of future albums, but also that the album was "a step down in many ways" from Twenty One Pilots' debut and that a lot of the songs sounded underproduced compared to their reworkings on ''Vessel'', leaning "more towards a
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for almost half of the songs". In White's review for ''Vessel'', White called both ''Regional at Best'' and ''Twenty One Pilots'' "quite amazing, underrated albums". Ranking Twenty One Pilots' albums in 2021, ''Kerrang!'' writer Emily Carter considered ''Regional at Best'' to be Twenty One Pilots' fifth-best album out of the six they had released at the time, placing the album above its self-titled debut. Carter wrote that the album features "layers upon layers of experimental genius to uncover" and desired a re-release. It was ranked sixth by Ali Shutler of ''Alternative Press'' in 2022, who said that the record may have provided the blueprint for what the band would become but was "perhaps the only Twenty One Pilots album that can be described as a work in progress" and thought that all of its better moments were re-recorded for ''Vessel''. In 2018, Alessandra Rincón of ''Billboard'' regarded ''Regional at Best'''s simplicity as its unique element among Twenty One Pilots albums. ''Alternative Press'' noted in 2018 that many fans still hoped for a ''Regional at Best'' reprint, and in a 2024 fan poll that the album was "totally beloved within Twenty One Pilots' canon".


Track listing


Personnel

Adapted from the CD liner notes. Twenty One Pilots *
Tyler Joseph Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. Across his career he has r ...
*
Josh Dun Joshua William Dun (born June 18, 1988) is an American musician. He is best known as the drummer of the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside Tyler Joseph, but he has collaborated with other artists as well. His band has been nominated for ...
Credit: *Zack Joseph – performance on "Kitchen Sink" *Jocef – performance on "Be Concerned" Artwork *Album art designed by Reel Bear Media


Notes


References

{{Authority control 2011 albums Self-released albums Twenty One Pilots albums