The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Always Foreign (Epitaph) Review

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

Always Foreign

Epitaph

Sep 29, 2017 Web Exclusive By Ryan E.C. Hamm

The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die is a band that specializes in facilitating catharsis. Given the state of American society and politics in 2017, the catharsis the band taps into on new album Always Foreign sounds more necessary—and terrifying—than ever before.

Trump may not be mentioned by name, but what he represents is all over Foreign. “Where do the fires start in the city streets, when the whole flag burns away?” sings David Bello on early highlight “Faker.” “There’s nothing wrong with Jose. There’s nothing wrong with Moses. There’s nothing wrong with kindness. There’s nothing wrong with knowing. We’re here,” goes the climax of epic centerpiece “Marine Tigers.” And perhaps most chillingly is the mantra spat at racists in “Fuzz Minor”: “I cannot wait to see you die.” The fight against what the current U.S. administration represents has left its mark on this album, and the hope and the fight of these songs provides a blast of relief.

This is not to say that all of Always Foreign is exclusively interested in politics. “Hilltopper” is a vicious skewering of a former band member, while “Gram” tackles the opioid crisis with poignancy and intensity. And even when the songs are dark and seem to urge violent resistance, there are glimmers of hope—help for people who have to get through whatever terrible shit they’re facing. The lyrics of “The Future” shine brightly: “The present was awful, but it’s all past now. Let it float away. Go dancing on its grave.” After all: What good is catharsis if, after it’s over, there’s nothing left to celebrate? (www.theworldisabeautifulplace.com)

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