Emo music has always had a bad reputation, given that emo music is associated with a stereotype that includes emotional, introverted angst and even depression, self-injury and suicide. Considered to be dangerous and weird, the emo trend is being suppressed.

Today, emo music has evolved from it’s heroes like Jimmy Eat World and Sunny Day Real Estate, to predominately more of a screamo sound–scorned by most audiences. But a large group of musicians from Willmantic, Connecticut called The World Is A Beautiful Place And I’m No Longer Afraid To Die–sometimes shortened to TWIABP–is successfully blending screamo and elements of indie ballads we hear today. As a result, they’re credited as one of the forefront bands reviving emo music.

Debuting in 2013 with their album Whenever, If Ever, they are currently working on releasing an EP that was expected to release in the fall of this year.

Whenever, If Ever opens with their somber track “Blank #9” that slowly sets the mood of the album, followed by the more intense track “Heartbeat in the Brain”. This song structure of a slow, driving build-up to a powerful rock finale is repeated throughout the entire album, using synths, strings, piano and horns. All of these tracks blend together and crescendo with large background vocals and creative instrumentation.

Blank #9 / Heartbeat in the Brain (featuring spoken word poet Christopher Zizzamia)

If you are currently an emo music fan, you will be head-over heels in love with this album because it lives up to all emo music standards. If you are like myself and identify more with indie rock, I would encourage you to listen to this album as well because Whenever, If Ever has its attractive, pure vocal moments with tracks such as “Low Light Assembly” that is as good as some indie bands artists today, like Broken Social Scene and Modest Mouse.

Favorite tracks: Heartbeat in the Brain, Picture of a Tree That Doesn’t Look Okay, You Will Never Go to Space