With nearly as many words in their name as band members, Connecticut unit the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die employ a multitude of instruments to add a variety of dense layers to their latest release, Harmlessness. Building on the minimalist structuring of 2013's Whenever, If Ever, the band ebb and flow between verses as they transition to grander, more dynamic sections. "January 10th, 2014" features call and response vocals between David Bello and Katie Shanholtzer-Dvorak, harmonizing beautifully as the instrumentals move from glossy downtempo twinkles accentuated with violin highlights to its bouncy, punchy conclusion.
"The Word Lisa" and "Mental Health" showcase the opposite ends of the World is a Beautiful Place's spectrum, the former employing upbeat synth lines and soaring, hooky choruses, while the latter is a measured, intimate and sombre number, ripe with emotional weight. On Harmlessness, the World is a Beautiful Place prove that they are amongst the most ambitious and dynamic of the new emo movement, less revivalists than innovators.
(Epitaph)"The Word Lisa" and "Mental Health" showcase the opposite ends of the World is a Beautiful Place's spectrum, the former employing upbeat synth lines and soaring, hooky choruses, while the latter is a measured, intimate and sombre number, ripe with emotional weight. On Harmlessness, the World is a Beautiful Place prove that they are amongst the most ambitious and dynamic of the new emo movement, less revivalists than innovators.