The solo project of producer/multi-instrumentalist Eric Lindley, Careful recorded The World Doesn’t End entirely in an “ad hoc studio” in his small apartment in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy neighborhood. Lindley carefully altered his vocals in spots to make them sound like duets between male and female singers, as heard in the various parts of the title track. Lindley’s degree from Dartmouth College in physics and music came in handy as he put together this intriguing collection of largely moderate to low-key songs. The production emphasizes the space within the sound, often settling into a minimalist approach that makes much with fewer tracks than expected, though the wall of pulsing sound of “This Isn’t It” proves there’s more than one path to get where Lindley is going. The songs detail a disturbingly dismal relationship that’s dramatically relayed. “Didn’t He Die” works with agitated sounds that poke the listener. “You Will Have to Kill Me” sounds as tense as its title, with a sense of a ticking time bomb shadowing the warm synth layers that give the tune a false sense of serenity.