This album, TWIABP’s first full length offering, was originally set for release on June 18th. It’s become pretty apparent that Topshelf Records’ best-laid plans haven’t quite come off and the record is now widely available online thanks to a leak. It’s disappointing that one of the best records of the year (yup, I’ll get to just how good it is soon) was birthed into a bit of a scandal rather than directly into the hearts of the waiting fans. What’s happened has happened, though. Both Topshelf and TWIABP have approached the situation with dignity and, although still not officially out until the 18th, ‘Whenever, If Ever’ is now available through the official channels.
This album opens with ‘Blank #9’, soft and swelling, it sounds vaguely natural, like the accidental soundtrack to something truly beautiful. It’s an intro track really, shorter and more relaxed than anything else throughout, but it sets the mood and settles the listener exactly where they need to be. Second track, ‘Heartbeat In The Brain’ is the first to feature the magnificent joint vocals that dominate the album and which, coupled with the vast musical backing of a band on incredible form, hit a sublime level. From then on, TWIABP get better and better with more of that same emotionally crippling brilliance – The plea, “Let’s hope that this works out/ this has got to work out” that brings third track, ‘Flightboat’ to a close is untouchable.
<a href=“http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whenever-if-ever” data-mce-href=“http://topshelfrecords.bandcamp.com/album/whenever-if-ever”>Whenever, If Ever by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die</a>
‘Whenever, If Ever’ continues on this incredible path until the very end. The bass line on ‘Layers Of Skin We Drag Around’ is beautiful, whereas ‘Ultimate Steve’ has one of the prettiest riffs around coursing through it. The drums, bass, and considerable array of other instrumentation that make TWIABP so special all link sublimely until the joint vocals hit the song and give it an almost ethereally powerful edge.
But for me, it’s closing track ‘Getting Sodas’ that just nails it. All of the influences show and none of them can touch what this band has become. For a period during this track TWIABP sound like Explosions In The Sky, had they risen from the dead to save the world from lesser music. The way this eight piece can move through a song and with those songs through an album is spectacular. With ‘Whenever, If Ever’ on play, many people will ask themselves why so few bands are doing this. After that those same people will try and work out what this is. TWIABP defy genres on this record, they defy style and expectations. They simply give one of the most honest performances that will be put to record for a very long time.
5/5
‘Whatever, If Ever’ by The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die is officially out on the 18th June on Topshelf Records.
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Words by Tom Knott (@nounandthenouns)
