The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (TWIABP) is an emo/indie rock band with almost as many touring members as it does words in its band name, originally based out of Willimantic, Connecticut. The group played a large part in the creation of a sub-genre of indie/punk rock know as emo-revival, which is a movement inspired by '90s post-emo indie rock bands such as Mineral and Sunny Day Real Estate.
TWIABP’s first album, “Whenever, If Ever” (2013) can best be described as an emotional punch in the gut from nostalgia, with melodies and lyrics that project intense sentimentalism. Their second LP, “Harmlessness” (2015) was a beautiful slow burn of a record and a nearly perfect journey in every way.
Because the band has a constantly shifting lineup, “Always Foreign” invites a creative pivot for the band after recently losing some of its historically key members.
Unlike their previous albums, TWIABP left behind sentimentalism and replaced it with anger and dismay due to a variety of reasons: band members’ severed relationships, personal struggles and current political issues. However, like almost all TWIABP releases, the album’s end goal is a message of positivity and happiness, or at least of hope for a better future.
The album opens with “I’ll Make Everything,” which begins with muted strings and harmonics, leading to David Bello’s hypnotic vocals chanting: “I’ll make everything look like its happy / I’ll make everything a story of love.” As the track climaxes, in comes the array of horns and synths - staples of TWIABP’s sound. Despite this return to form, it is clear from the start that the atmosphere conveyed by “Always Foreign” is a departure from the band’s previous releases.
“The Future,” track two, is a punk-poppy and enticingly energetic jam that could have easily been the lead single for the album, which too delivers feelings of hope for a later time. “The future just got here, again and again now / the present was awful, but it’s all past now.” These lines, despite appearing to convey sincerity, seem to be delivered in jest – or at least are aware that things may not turn out as okay as we hope.
“Always Foreign” jumps from genre to genre throughout the first half of the album, bridging the gaps between post-rock with the song “Faker,” indie pop in “Gram,” as well as pop-punk and emo rock. Though this variety of styles is refreshing on first listen, it does cause the record to feel disjointed and wandering, which is a definite issue for the band’s third LP. It isn’t until the latter half of the album that TWIABP collects “Always Foreign” into a more coherent piece.
Track eight, “For Robin,” a beautiful acoustic ballad, touches on the issue of loss in a heartwarmingly profound way. Perhaps the most emotional point on the album, “For Robin” describes the process of coping with the loss of a friend due to drunk driving. The song crescendos into an elegant finale, growing from a strictly acoustic venture to a layered piece that incorporates drums, multiple descending guitars and an enigmatic vocal performance from Bello.
The album peaks with the epic “Marine Tigers,” a seven minute post-rock track which encapsulates nearly every main theme on the record. "There's nothing wrong with Jose / there's nothing wrong with Moses / there's nothing wrong with kindness." Here, the band tackles issues of racism and xenophobia. The lyrics serve as a clear critique of our nation's pressing socially controversial issues.
Continuing, Bello asks: "Can you still call it a country if all the states or broken / Can you still call it a business if all you do is steal?” A band that had once toted beliefs of community and unity in its lyrics now confronts the division that our country has proposedly descended into.
“Always Foreign,” remains energetic and powerful through songs like “Dillon and Her Son,” as well as ambient and beautiful with the closing track “Infinite Steve.” Though owning a unique place in TWIABP’s discography, the album unfortunately falls short of living up to the band’s previous releases in coherency and identity. Still, the future remains bright for The World Is a Beautiful Place, who continue to innovate and lead the way for the world of emo and indie rock.
Recommended tracks: "The Future," "For Robin," "Infinite Steve"
4/5 Stars
The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (TWIABP) released their latest album, "Always Foreign."