It is rare to find a genre with a truly cohesive identity. Vague labels like “indie rock” and “pop” say little about the inherent substance of the music they strive to describe. This is what makes the emo genre so truly special.
Emo music expresses that first relationship that didn’t go so well or all those late nights spent trying to figure out life. Ultimately, it’s the aural embodiment of when things could be better, but they’re not. Still, the genre is not exactly a new one. Many say the defining days of emo were the 90s, and that would be a safe statement. However, with The World Is a Beautiful Place’s new release “Harmlessness,” those days seem to be upon us again. The release uses a vast palette of emo tropes in cuttingly clever, never before seen ways, ultimately crafting an entirely novel yet somehow still very emo sound.
From the very first seconds of “Harmlessness,” TWIABP pulls no punches. For emo purists, the album is a genre-bending experience even from the very first song. As “You Can’t Live There Forever” begins, listeners are likely to find themselves double checking that they didn’t stream the wrong album. Acoustic guitar, violins and whispered, tired vocals all make unlikely appearances.
Superficially, the album almost seems like the antithesis of emo. However, what listeners soon realize is that “Harmlessness” is an evolution of emo as a genre, not a representation of the death of the style. Even without as many screaming vocals and other stereotypical emo elements, the emotion elicited is all the same. The messages remain decidedly along the lines of quintessential emo, with a higher efficacy through this expanded sound. Whether their vocals are shrieked or whispered, TWIABP shows that emo is more than the sound it is associated with.
The sheer intricacy of the tracks on “Harmlessness” are just as noteworthy as their distinctive approach to emo. For example, the song “January 10th, 2014” is borderline theatrical in its scope and sound. The concept track describes the story of Diana — a vigilante who seeks revenge against bus drivers that assaulted female passengers in Juarez, Mexico. This gripping display shows a woman taking control in retribution for women who had control taken from them. The track isn’t just lyrically ornate, however. As the song progresses, the listener is taken through soaring crescendos accentuated by mathematical drum lines and a driving guitar harmony. Calling “Harmlessness” enthralling would be an understatement.
TWIABP wants to show listeners the breadth of their experience in music-making, and on “Harmlessness,” they do just that. They show how struggles that can seem so immensely personal at times are problems shared by the entire human race. In the end, perhaps this is what emo is all about at its core. With “Harmlessness,” the band has become a crucible by which the emo genre can be reduced to its most fundamental roots and then rebuilt once again.
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