Perhaps one of the most visible bands in the wave of emo that washed up in the late 2000s and early 2010s,
the World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
built a dynamic sound from elements of second-wave emo's gasping vocals and post-rock's flickering atmospheres. Though the band released only three proper studio albums in their first ten years, they stayed true to their D.I.Y. tradition and released far more material in the form of limited-edition split releases, 7"s, EPs and compilation tracks.
Assorted Works
collects much of the band's non-album output from their first decade. Presented in semi-chronological order, the compilation begins with their side of
Are Here to Help You
, a 2011 split release with friends
Deer Leap
. These four introductory songs are some of the band's most inspired, and display the core elements that would evolve from that point on. Wavering vocals, occasional trumpet, and chiming guitar figures are both schooled from the
Kinsella
family of emo (
Cap'n Jazz
,
Joan of Arc
American Football
) while slowly building rhythms take their time to rise from muted taps to thundering barrages. The earliest work bears an energetic scrappiness that evens out as the collection goes on. By the release of
Death to New Years
and
Long Live Happy Birthday
(released in 2015 and 2016, respectively), the band had refined their approach to steady-handed delivery and more streamlined arrangements. "Even More Forever" captures essentially the same spirit as their earliest rough-and-tumble songs, only clarified and with room for all of the instruments to breathe and interact.
is an excellent representation of the band's sound, but more than anything, it draws direct lines of progress from the band's early, youthful fury to the more reserved but equally powerful work that followed. ~ Fred Thomas