Whenever, If Ever
| Whenever, If Ever | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 18, 2013 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 35:16 | |||
| Label | Topshelf | |||
| Producer | Chris Teti | |||
| The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AbsolutePunk | 90%[5] |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
| Pitchfork | 7.8/10[6] |
| PopMatters |   [7] |
| Punknews.org | [4] |
| Sputnikmusic | 4.5/5[8] |
Whenever, If Ever is the debut studio album by American indie rock band The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, released on June 18, 2013, on Topshelf Records.
Writing and recording[edit]
The record was largely written instrumentally as a five-piece band, with the finished versions of the tracks coming together in the studio with the rest of the members contributing their ideas. The album's songs had been written close to a year before the band entered the studio, and the band made demos for all the songs in every stage of the writing process. Nicole noted that many of the songs progressed into something completely different than the direction they started with, while others stayed relatively unchanged. After production had started, Julia Peters offered to perform cello on the record. The band was so impressed with her playing that she was asked to join the band.[9]
Composition[edit]
Music[edit]
Four vocalists share vocal duties throughout the album.
Lyrics[edit]
"I think the idea of being self-referential helps connect our entire work into a more cohesive piece about the collective experience of being alive. That is the sort of general idea about the lyrical aspect of our songwriting."[9]
Track listing[edit]
All music is composed by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "blank #9" | 2:13 |
| 2. | "Heartbeat in the Brain" | 5:42 |
| 3. | "Fightboat" | 2:05 |
| 4. | "Picture of a Tree That Doesn't Look Okay" | 4:01 |
| 5. | "You Will Never Go to Space" | 2:25 |
| 6. | "The Layers of Skin We Drag Around" | 1:33 |
| 7. | "Ultimate Steve" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Gig Life" | 2:59 |
| 9. | "Low Light Assembly" | 3:20 |
| 10. | "Getting Sodas" | 7:00 |
| Total length: | 35:16 | |
Personnel[edit]
- Thomas Diaz – vocals, guitar, synthesizer
- David Bello – vocals
- Nicole Shanholtzer – guitar, vocals
- Joshua Cyr – bass guitar, synthesizer
- Katie Shanholtzer-Dvorak - synthesizer, vocals
- Steven Buttery – percussion
- Christopher Teti – guitar
- Julia Peters – cello
- Patrick Malone – trumpet
- Greg Horbal – guitar, vocals, piano, synthesizer
Chart performance[edit]
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Vinyl Albums[10] | 3 |
References[edit]
- ^ a b Thomas, Fred. "The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die Whenever, If Ever". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
- ^ "30 Best Emo Revival Albums, Ranked". Spin. June 14, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Jordan (October 4, 2021). "Review: With Illusory Walls, The World Is a Beautiful Place Magnify Their Sound". Slant Magazine. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ a b c d RENALDO69 (November 21, 2013). "The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid To Die Whenever, If Ever". punknews.org. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Beringer, Drew (June 18, 2013). "The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die – Whenever, If Ever". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
- ^ Cohen, Ian (August 21, 2013). "The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die Whenever, If Ever". Pitchfork. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
- ^ Rubsam, Robert (October 2, 2013). "The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Whenever, If Ever". PopMatters. Retrieved October 2, 2013.
- ^ Lowe, Robert (May 22, 2013). "The World is a Beautiful Place... Whenever, If Ever". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
- ^ a b Gardner, Jason (May 10, 2013). "Interview: The World Is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die". Mind Equals Blown. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
- ^ "Vinyl Albums : July 6, 2013". Billboard. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
