When The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die announced that they would be releasing their third full-length record Always Foreign there was an understandable buzz around the scene, eager to see what the band would produce. After all, this is a band who have gained a cult following off the back of their previous releases Harmlessness and Whenever, If Ever as well as eight separate EP’s all of which have been well received.
So have they released something worthy of the hype? A resounding yes is in order. Easily one of the most laid back albums melodically to come out this year whilst lyrically the band tackle some heavy subjects ranging from abusive relationships to drugs. The music and the lyrics are completely opposite to each other yet blend together in a fantastic way and create a mental space for the listener to comfortably sit and confront some of the worst issues society has to offer in the present day.
Highlights on the album include ‘Faker’, which starts slowly and erupts into a crescendo to end the song that immediately has you reaching for the repeat button, and ‘Marine Tigers’, which delves deep into some serious social issues affecting many and does so with a beautiful melody behind it.
The World Is… have with this album, created one of the best albums in recent memory that confronts the dark reality for many. It does this in such a way that the listener is not immediately aware that this is the case, and would only realise it after the second or third listen. There would definitely be a second or third listen as well, as the album digs deep into the memory and keeps you coming back even just to hear a certain bridge section or chorus again. This album is one of the best of this year and fully deserves all the recognition and praise that it gets.
