Why I Like It:
I would like to begin this entry by discussing album closers. To quote a YouTube video I watched on album closers: "when someone makes the perfect choice to close an album it can elevate the entire experience to something profound, even transcendental". No truer words can be said about this and, in my opinion, the ending of Whenever, If Ever by the band TWIABP (yes I've already started the abbreviation) covers the profound experience. Let's explain why I think so by backing up and looking at the album as a whole.
If you look at Whenever, If Ever's album cover, it's a young boy jumping into a pool of water. As a kid, this is a fun and thrilling experience but at a budding adult, it can be terrifying not knowing what's underneath that water. Just like the unknowns of life. This is exactly what the album is about, embracing the unknowns. Whether it be not feeling you belong, the inevitability of getting older, or deciding to leave to start anew someplace else- it's all things you may have to face sometime and it can be unsettling experiences. TWIABP sound like a band that's experiencing these things in real time and on the cusp of breaking.
With 10 band members switching off vocals, dabbling in multiple genres like indie rock, post-rock, and even screaming in spots; it sounds like recipe for a disaster album. However, it somehow stays afloat and works together in a perfectly imperfect way. To me this is why the album is so endearing, it's a group of people putting their heart and soul into art and giving it their all. Embracing the unknown as you will (it's cheesy but true).
Then you get to the closer, "getting sodas", a 7 minuet epic climax to the album. It calls back to the band's name and expands on it:
"The world is a beautiful place but we have to make it that wayWhenever you find home we'll make it more than just a shelterAnd if everyone belongs there it will hold us all togetherIf you're afraid to die, then so am I"
It's a grand statement of facing the fears of the unknown but controlling how you interact with the world. Make it the beautiful place it can be and a place anyone can belong. This song feels epic and grand and when the these lyrics come you get that profound experience, or at least I did. It gives you hope that yes, things can be scary but we can control that and change the narrative. Now you might be wondering, ok so where is the transcendental experience? Well, it's not on this album. It's actually in the closer of TWIABP's 2021 album Illusionary Walls called "Fewer Afraid". Just hear me out.
"Fewer Afraid" is the true ultimate album closer. Clocking at 19 mins, it covers elements of not just the album, but previous albums too. The band is at their peak of talent and no longer sounding like that young band finding their footing. Essentially it is "Getting Sodas" but evolved to it's ultimate form, and it is true spectacle to listen to. However, I would not recommend listening to "Fewer Afraid" until you've listened to TWIABP's discography, especially Whenever, If Ever. Only then will this album closer provide that transcendental experience. My god is it worth the journey.
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Highlighted song and lyrics:
Getting Sodas- "The world is a beautiful place but we have to make it that way"
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Similar bands to check out:
Moving Mountains, Foxing, Prawn, The Hotelier
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Reviews and links to check out:
The E Word Podcast- Interview with Chris Teti
Pitchfork.com- Review
Growing Up Punk Podcast- 5 songs from TWIABP
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