Regional at Best

"people say that there is nothing new under the sun. i just wrote a brand new song yesterday; so that can't be true." - Twenty One Pilots' facebook page. Who are Twenty One Pilots? A two piece electronic, piano rock, rap duo hailing from Columbus, Ohio consisting of Tyler Joseph (vocals, piano, programming) and Josh Dun (drums, percussion, programming). If you say the music scene is dying, 21P are here to prove you wrong. Their music is creative, meaningful, and top notch in every aspect. This is a group that puts their heart and soul into every single song. If you love piano rock, electronica, meaningful lyrics, rapping, and something that no one has heard before, you are bound to love this up-and-coming band. The album starts off with the lead single "Guns For Hands," which starts out with a bass drum kick and an uplifting melody. The album throws people off when the tempo change and reggae/old school rap beat in the bridge comes into play, then it picks back up to the normal tempo and finishes out with the chorus. Another song sure to throw people off is "Ode To Sleep," which starts off like something that would come off an Eminem album and then abruptly transitions into a Beatles like verse, and slows down into a melodic chorus, then transitions back into the rapping. It's been a very long time since I've heard such a dynamic song. "Slowtown" and "Car Radio" are old songs which longtime fans will easily recognize. The former is a soundtrack for childhood and features an intense full blown electronica bridge with Joseph passionately screaming "We're going too fast, save us now!" The latter is a song about a personal experience with Joseph and is definitely one of the most captivating on the album. Almost all rapping, "Car Radio" is about how "silence is violent" and can drown you in your own thoughts. "Forest" is sure to be a fan favorite. "Glowing Eyes" follows along the lines of Jack's Mannequin while still holding to 21P's signature sound. "Kitchen Sink", which features Josephs brother, has some of the most uplifting lyrics on the album, "Are you searching for purpose? Then write something, yeah it might be worthless. Then paint something then, it might be wordless. Pointless curses, nonsense verses. You'll see purpose start to surface. No one else is dealing with your demons meaning maybe defeating them could be the beginning of your meaning, friend." Another old song that longtime fans will easily recognize is "Trees", which starts out with some well placed autotune and then instantly bursts with an onslaught of electronica and gunshot snare drum beats. The album closes with "Clear", which ends on a happy, yet desperate note. If you are looking for something different under the sun, then Twenty One Pilots is that band. This album is near perfect and something I certainly wouldn't expect from an unsigned band. Twenty One Pilots could easily take over the world with their style and uplifting lyrics. This is the band to watch out for over the next few years because they're not backing down anytime soon. "twenty one pilots is a band that does not want to be heard; they want to be listened to." - 21P's facebook page.