Melanie Martinez released her EP After School on Friday, Sept. 25. This EP is an extension of her previously released sophomore album K-12. While After School keeps the same child-like aesthetic of K-12, it reflects on different and more complex experiences, making the lyrics more personal to the artist.

The first song is Notebook, the only breakup song throughout the seven-track EP. Notebook strives to fit the school-like theme that K-12 has and executes so well, by continuing to reference objects in line with a school environment like the notebook itself and concepts like learning lessons. The music is very upbeat but still goes well with the regretful lyrics. It’s easy to tell that Martinez is reflecting on one of her own relationships in a heavy-hearted way and does a good job of setting the tone for the rest of the EP. As a first time listener of After School, Notebook excited me in preparation to hear the rest of the tracks. 

Notebook is followed by Test Me, easily the most contrasting song off of the EP. Test Me emphasized the importance of facing the real-life challenges you are given which will teach you more than educational classes ever could. Upon my first listen of Test Me, I wasn’t sure that I liked the song, but after a few listens, I can confidently say that it’s my favorite track from After School and K-12. The meaning of the song is personal, as it could fit anyone’s experiences of facing hardships throughout their lives.

Numbers, a song about feeling overworked but underpaid is the song I relate to the most. The song’s slower beat layered with much louder vocals creates a uniquely beautiful sound. This song doesn’t feel as if it was constrained by Martinez’s consistent aesthetic, and in turn, made the sounds and themes of the album more varied. The next song Glued mirrored the vocal layering of Numbers and reminded me of songs by indie artists like Iyla with it’s bold and quirky sounds. 

A more positive track in the EP is Brain & Heart which teaches a lesson of maintaining a balance between logic and emotion while making decisions. I enjoyed the meaning of this song more than others, but the sound seems repetitive and makes the artist seem as if she is droning off in a speech. The song Field Trip completely opposed the sound of Brain & Heart with fun and interesting vocals. I enjoyed the variance of Martinez’s voice throughout the song and how fast-paced it was as well as the surprise lyrics in Spanish. 

The EP ends dramatically with the song The Bakery which finds a perfect balance by not committing too much to the child-like aesthetic the other songs in the EP struggle to do. This song is the most pop-sounding on the album in addition to being the most light-hearted song. 

After School delivers distinctive anecdotes within songs that help listeners take a walk through Melanie Martinez’s life, emotions, and past hardships. This EP was a beautiful mix of varied and expressive songs and is definitely worth a listen for anyone who likes dreamy alternative music even if a song or two didn’t hit the mark.