Melanie Martinez - “After School” Review
Following the release of her second full length album “K-12,” Melanie Martinez created “After School.” The EP follows the fictional character Cry Baby who she created in her first full length album, “Cry Baby.”
“K-12” was an excellent album that perfectly continued the story of Cry Baby, though “After School” was very underwhelming.
Martinez is spectacular at making catchy and unique choruses. That is one reason why Martinez’s fans love her music. However, the majority of the choruses on this EP were boring and fell flat.
Martinez had creative beats as usual, which helped with the overall theme of the EP. Martinez is spectacular at creating concept albums, however, it was harder to decipher what the concept was on this EP.
For “After School,” Martinez did showcase her impressive range. She hit notes that she has never hit before and she sounded really great. Martinez’s voice was soothing, but also exciting enough to shine on all of the tracks.
The first track “Notebook” leaves much to be desired. It is a very underwhelming track that sounds super generic and does not feature a stellar chorus, which Martinez usually provides. It had a fine beat and was overall pretty basic.
“Test Me” is a pretty boring song that sounds the same throughout. There is never a beat change and the song starts to sound super repetitive halfway through. Though it isn’t a dreadful song, and the singer sounds fantastic, it is rather underwhelming.
“Brain & Heart” is very similar to “Test Me.” Although the song sounds pleasant, it becomes very boring since nothing changes throughout the track. The chorus is catchier than such in “Test Me,” but it is not as good as many other of Martinez’s choruses. This track also sounds very similar to Martinez’s 2017 track “Piggyback.”
“Numbers” is a very unique song, but it does not sound like any other of Martinez’s songs. The song effectively switches the beat and keeps the listener attentive throughout. While the track is not amazing, it is a step up from the first three tracks.
“Glued” is a chill song and has a very soft beat to highlight Martinez’s voice. However, this song is nothing special. The lyrics are solid; however, it is hard to decipher the concept for this song.
“Field Trip” is the best song on the EP. It is a very fun song that sounds like many of Martinez’s other fantastic songs. It is a special song that is energetic throughout and that reminds listeners of Martinez’s talent.
“The Bakery,” the last track on the EP, is another great song, and the most mainstream of them all. This song has an amazing groove, which is complemented by the simple lyrics.
The atmosphere created on this song is great and the chorus is amazing, making it a potential radio hit.
Overall, this was an underwhelming album, but the last two tracks elevated it. Both are fun songs that are perfect representations of how awesome Martinez’s music can be.
“After School” was not a perfect album, though no song was egregious. Martinez has created better music, with creative beats and beautiful vocals.
Rating: 6/10
Favorite Songs: “Field Trip” and “The Bakery”
Least Favorite Songs: “Glued, “Notebook” and “Brain and Heart”
Jack Freiser is a freshman majoring in either media studies or telecommunications. To contact him, email jef5614@psu.edu.
