# Harmlessness

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> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Harmlessness.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmlessness
> Source revision: 1313360100
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{for|the Sanskrit term|Ahimsa}}
{{other uses|Harmless (disambiguation){{!}}Harmless}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Harmlessness
| type       = studio
| artist     = [The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die](/source/The_World_Is_a_Beautiful_Place_%26_I_Am_No_Longer_Afraid_to_Die)
| cover      = Harmlessness_Cover.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = September 25, 2015
| recorded   =
| venue      =
| studio     =
| genre      = {{flatlist|
* [Indie rock](/source/Indie_rock)<ref>{{cite web|last=Cohen |first=Ian |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-and-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die-made-a-perfect-indie-rock-record-with-harmlessness/ |title=The Emo Revival Ends Here: The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die Made a Perfect Indie Rock Record |publisher=Noisey.vice.com |date= 28 September 2015|access-date=2015-10-12}}</ref><ref name=AP.netTN>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3744097|title=Thomas Nassiff - Article|work=AbsolutePunk|author=Nassiff, Thomas |date=December 3, 2015|accessdate=January 7, 2016}}</ref>
* [emo](/source/emo)
* [post-rock](/source/post-rock)
}}
| length     = 61:03
| label      = [Epitaph](/source/Epitaph_Records)
| producer   = Chris Teti
| prev_title = [Whenever, If Ever](/source/Whenever%2C_If_Ever)
| prev_year  = 2013
| next_title = [Always Foreign](/source/Always_Foreign)
| next_year  = 2017
}}
'''''Harmlessness''''' is the second [studio album](/source/studio_album) by American [indie rock](/source/indie_rock) band [The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die](/source/The_World_Is_a_Beautiful_Place_%26_I_Am_No_Longer_Afraid_to_Die). It was announced on August 4, 2015, and was released on September 25, 2015. The title of the album is a play on the name of the band's first EP, ''Formlessness''.<ref name="Broken World Media">{{cite web |url=http://store.brokenworldmedia.com/products/556014-twiabp-harmlessness-pre-order|title=Broken World Media - TWIABP - Harmlessness|publisher=Store.brokenworldmedia.com|accessdate=2015-08-10}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Music ratings
|MC = 84/100<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/harmlessness/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die |title=Reviews for Harmlessness by The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die |publisher=Metacritic |date=2015-10-02 |accessdate=2015-10-12}}</ref>
|rev1 = ''[AbsolutePunk](/source/AbsolutePunk)''
|rev1Score = {{Rating|10|10}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3733762|title=The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness - Album Review|publisher=Absolutepunk.net|author=Drew Beringer|date=2015-09-25|accessdate=2015-10-04}}</ref>
|rev2 = ''[Alternative Press](/source/Alternative_Press_(music_magazine))''
|rev2Score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}
|rev3 =''[Blurt](/source/Blurt_(magazine))''
|rev3Score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blurtonline.com/review/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-and-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die-harmlessness/|title=The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness|publisher=Blurtonline.com|author=Daniel Matti|date=2015-10-02|accessdate=2015-10-04}}</ref>
|rev4 = ''[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media)''
|rev4Score = 7.9/10<ref>{{cite web |url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/21037-harmlessness/|title=The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: Harmlessness|publisher=Pitchfork.com|author=Evan Rytlewski|date=2015-09-28|accessdate=2015-10-04}}</ref>
|rev5 = ''Punknews.org''
|rev5Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name=Punknewsreview>{{cite web |url=https://www.punknews.org/review/13912/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-and-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die-harmlessness|title=The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness|publisher=Punknews.org|date=2015-09-28|accessdate=2015-10-04}}</ref>
|rev6 = ''[Under the Radar](/source/Under_the_Radar_(magazine))''
|rev6score = 7.5/10<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dransfield, Scott |date=November 19, 2015 |title=The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die: ''Harmlessness'' |work=Under the Radar |url=http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/the_world_is_a_beautiful_place_i_am_no_longer_afraid_to_die_harmlessness/ |access-date=March 10, 2021}}</ref>
}}
''Harmlessness'' charted at number 11 on the [Heatseekers Albums](/source/Heatseekers_Albums) chart,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6715596/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die/chart?f=324|title=The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Chart history (Heatseekers Albums)|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=October 21, 2015}}</ref> and at number 46 on the [Independent Albums](/source/Independent_Albums) chart.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/6715596/the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die/chart?f=326|title=The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Chart history (Independent Albums)|magazine=Billboard|accessdate=October 21, 2015}}</ref> Upon release, the album received critical acclaim. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from specialized critics, the album received an average score of 84, based on 6 reviews. ''[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)'' placed the album at number 13 on their top 50 albums of 2015 list.<ref name=SGEOY>{{cite web |url=http://www.stereogum.com/1845609/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/franchises/2015-in-review/4/|title=The 50 Best Albums Of 2015: The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die - Harmlessness|publisher=Stereogum|date=December 1, 2015|accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> James of ''Stereogum'' wrote: "It's not the kind of music that will change the world, but it might just change your life."<ref name=SGEOY/> Aaron Mook of ''[AbsolutePunk](/source/AbsolutePunk)'' wrote: "''Harmlessness'' is ambitious and intimidating in scope; it is not an easy listen, but with the right amount of time and dedication, it is easily one of the most rewarding listens of 2015." "January 10th, 2014" appeared on a best-of emo songs list by ''[Vulture](/source/New_York_(magazine))''.<ref name=Vulturesongs>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/article/best-emo-songs.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200213181251/https://www.vulture.com/article/best-emo-songs.html|title=The 100 Greatest Emo Songs of All Time|work=Vulture|author=Garland, Emma|date=February 13, 2020|archivedate=February 13, 2020|accessdate=August 14, 2020}}</ref>

=== Legacy ===
In 2017, ''Harmlessness'' placed seventh on ''[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))''{{'}}s list of the [emo revival](/source/emo_revival)'s 30 best albums, with writer Ian Cohen dubbing it "one of the most stunningly accomplished [indie rock](/source/indie_rock) records of the past decade."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.spin.com/2017/06/best-emo-revival-albums-ranked/|author=''Spin'' staff|date=June 14, 2017|title=30 Best Emo Revival Albums, Ranked|work=[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))|access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> Several months later, Cohen called it "an astonishing redirection" for indie rock, seeing it anticipate the genre's impending fusion of the [late 90's](/source/1990s_in_music) [Pacific Northwest](/source/Music_of_the_Pacific_Northwest) scene's "experimental and expanse" with [mid-00s](/source/2000s_in_music) [Canadian](/source/Music_of_Canada) indie's "grandeur" that would give way to the emo revival.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stereogum.com/1965054/qa-the-world-is-a-beautiful-place-and-i-am-no-longer-afraid-to-die/interviews/|last=Cohen|first=Ian|date=September 29, 2017|title=Q&A: The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No Longer Afraid To Die|work=[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)|access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref> In 2021, ''[Exclaim!](/source/Exclaim!)''{{'}}s Adam Feibel wrote that the album had "frequently been held up as [the band's] crowning achievement".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_world_is_a_beautiful_place_and_i_am_no_longer_afraid_to_die_illusory_walls_album_review|last=Feibel|first=Adam|date=October 6, 2021|title=The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die Balance Anger and Ambition on 'Illusory Walls'|work=[Exclaim!](/source/Exclaim!)|access-date=July 22, 2023}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Publication
! Accolade
! Year
! Rank
|-
| ''[Stereogum](/source/Stereogum)''
| The 50 Best Albums of 2015
| 2015
| #13<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stereogum.com/1845609/the-50-best-albums-of-2015/franchises/2015-in-review/4/|title=The 50 Best Albums Of 2015 |publisher=stereogum.com |date=2015-12-01 |accessdate=2015-12-10}}</ref>
|-
| ''[Brooklyn Magazine](/source/Brooklyn_Magazine)''
| The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2015
| 2015
| #1<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-17 |title=The 20 Best Rock Albums of 2015 |url=http://www.bkmag.com/2015/12/17/the-20-best-rock-albums-of-2015/ |access-date=2015-12-18 |website=Brooklyn Magazine}}</ref>
|-
| [BrooklynVegan](/source/BrooklynVegan)
| Our 50 Favorite Albums of 2015
| 2015
| --<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-12-31 |title=Our Favorite Albums of 2015 |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2015/12/our_50_favorite.html |access-date=2016-01-03 |website=Brooklyn Vegan}}</ref>
|-
| ''[Absolutepunk.net](/source/Absolutepunk.net)''
| Staff's Top 30 Albums of 2015
| 2015
| #5<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=3744073/|title=Staff's Top 30 Albums Of 2015 |publisher=absolutepunk.net |date=2016-01-06 |accessdate=2016-01-06}}</ref>
|}

== Track listing ==
{{track listing
| all_music = David F. Bello, Tyler Bussey, Steven K. Buttery, Joshua Cyr, Katie Dvorak, Greg Horbal, Derrick Shanholtzer and Chris Teti<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (January 10th 2014) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/january%2010th%202014/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>, except as noted
| total_length = 61:03
| title1   = You Can't Live There Forever
| writer1  = Bello, Buttery, Cyr, Dvorak, Shanholtzer, Teti<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (You Cant Live There Forever) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/you%20can't%20live%20there%20forever/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| length1  = 4:01
| title2   = blank #11
| writer2  = Shanholtzer, Teti<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (Blank 11) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/blank%2011/writer/shanholtzer?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| length2  = 1:09
| title3   = January 10th, 2014
| length3  = 5:39
| title4   = The Word Lisa
| length4  = 2:03
| title5   = Rage Against the Dying of the Light
| writer5  = Bello, Bussey, Buttery, Cyr, Dvorak, Shanholtzer, Teti<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (Rage Against the Dying of the Light) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/Rage%20against%20the%20dying%20of%20the%20light/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| length5  = 3:29
| title6   = Ra Patera Dance
| length6  = 4:30
| title7   = Mental Health
| writer7  = Bello, Bussey, Buttery, Cyr, Dvorak<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (Mental Health) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/mental%20health/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| length7  = 4:07
| title8   = Wendover
| length8  = 2:57
| title9   = We Need More Skulls
| writer9  = Bello, Bussey, Buttery, Cyr, Shanholtzer, Teti<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (We Need More Skulls) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/we%20need%20more%20skulls/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| length9  = 4:20
| title10  = Haircuts for Everybody
| length10 = 2:44
| title11  = Willie (For Howard)
| length11 = 3:10
| title12  = I Can Be Afraid of Anything
| length12 = 7:10
| title13  = Mount Hum
| note13   = ends at 8:20; hidden track "Make Mistakes" begins at 11:28
| length13 = 15:44
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = iTunes bonus track<ref name="twiabp">{{cite web |url=http://theworldisabeautifulplace.com/post/126371948001/whats-the-deal-with-make-mistakes-that-isnt
|title=Anonymous asked: what's the deal with 'make mistakes'? ...|publisher=theworldisabeautifulplace.com|accessdate=2015-08-10}}</ref>
| title14  = Make Mistakes<ref>{{cite web |title=ACE Repertory (Make Mistakes) |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/title/make%20mistakes/publisher/music%20of%20the%20mothership?at=true&searchFilter=SVW&page=1 |website=ASCAP |access-date=25 September 2025}}</ref>
| note14   = hidden track on CD version, see above
| writer14 = Bussey, Buttery, Cyr, Shanholtzer, Teti
| length14 = 4:16
}}

==Personnel==
The lineup for this album is:<ref name="Brooklyn Vegan">{{cite web |url=http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2015/08/twiabp_detail_n.html
|title=TWIABP detail new album 'Harmlessness,' share new single "January 10th, 2014|publisher=brooklynvegan.com|author=Sacher, Andrew|date=10 August 2015 |accessdate=2015-08-10}}</ref>
* David Bello - vocals
* Nicole Shanholtzer - guitar, vocals 
* Josh Cyr - bass guitar, acoustic guitar 
* Katie Dvorak - synthesizer, vocals 
* Steven Buttery - percussion 
* Chris Teti - production, engineering, mixing, guitar, vocals, percussion
* Nick Kwas - violin
* Tyler Bussey - guitar, banjo, vocals 
* Greg Horbal - guitar

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Wikiquote}}

Category:2015 albums
Category:The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die albums
Category:Epitaph Records albums

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Harmlessness](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmlessness) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmlessness?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.