New Music: The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

By Jason Herring, November 20 2014 —

It’s easy to guess what kind of music The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die makes based on their band name. They play impassioned emo music and have a reputation for playing cathartic, Arcade Fire-esque live shows.

The Connecticut band, with a rotating lineup of over 10 musicians, broke out last year with their debut album, Whenever, If Ever, after spending years sporadically releasing EPs and demos. Now, TWiaBP return with Between Bodies, a collaborative EP featuring spoken word artist Chris Zizzamia.

That said, the EP would have been a lot better without Zizzamia’s spoken word. He’s a talented artist, but his contributions drag the album down.

While the spoken word sections sound fine at first, on repeated listens Zizzamia’s voice becomes grating. Embarrassingly bad lyrics, such as “darkness is an unending container, and I am a gas seeking to fill its volume or dissipate it to harmlessness,” become impossible to ignore. Unfortunately, this gives the EP limited replay value.

During the tracks where TWiaBP takes front stage, the songs are up to par with their previous work. The EP’s best track, “Lucky,” is only two minutes long, but it makes full use of its short runtime with earnest, heartfelt vocals. The song finds the band at their best, capturing a childlike sense of wonder and a love for life.

Between Bodies is an experiment, and unfortunately one that feels a little bit too rough around the edges. Still, it is another interesting release from one of the most promising young bands around today.