“After Deliver Peak Nostalgia With a Twist in New EP” — “After EP 2” Review
Self-proclaimed y2k trip-hoppers After have released their six-track EP packed with glittering effects and melodies designed to instantly stick in your head.
Consistently releasing songs since 2023, the San Francisco-based duo are dedicated to invoking a sense of nostalgia—particularly for those who remember the 2000s as being dominated by artists like Michelle Brand and Ashlee Simpson. And while After certainly captures this sound, their tracks carry a certain melancholy grit early pop idols just didn’t have.
After EP 2 displays the group’s growth while still remaining true to their roots. The production is crisp and simple, but still carries a subtle edge.
The EP opens with “Deep Diving,” an upbeat track featuring catchy, shimmering synth and a soft-yet-steady drum beat. As with many After songs, vocalist Justine Dorsey’s ethereal tones almost work as another layer of instrumentation versus being a separate entity.
Lyrically, the track covers themes of deep connection through fanciful imagery.
Pulling on the rope that binds the sky to earth / You feel like I'm your girl / And she shines through / Oceans don’t react / They just keep the fro and to / And mountains never move / And she shines through / Pull me down / You're deep diving
The middle of the EP is marked by “Baroque,” a track characterized by its heavier sound. Featuring melancholy guitars and an overall darker vibe, the track gives off an eerie feel that culminates in a burst of distorted guitars and haunting vocals. This track in particular is a perfect example of how After’s sound is consistently evolving and an ode to their flexibility as artists.
And the track’s lyrics are equally melancholy, hinting at relationships characterized by confusion and distance.
And I can’t change your mind / Caught in the middle of day into night / Solving the riddle / You say you’re alone here but I’m still holding on / You say you're alone here / But I'm still holding on, you know / And there's some days you seem so part of me / Some days you feel so far from me / But I can't imagine I'd go / And no, I can't help this
After EP 2 wraps with “Close Your Eyes,” an uplifting track that would fit perfectly on Frou Frou’s Details, released back in 2002. “Close Your Eyes” returns to the steady, ethereal beats found in “Deep Diving,” but this time with heavier, plodding synths laying the framework. Dorsey’s vocals are ultra-soothing in this track, almost acting as a lullaby for the listener.
And I wake up every morning / Turning in the wind, you push and pull me / Every time the sun is in your eyes / It's a secret, keep it close to you / Where you go when you close your eyes? / I want to know / Where you go when you close your eyes / You and I, why can't it be mine? You fall (You fall), asleep again, oh, no / Where you go when you close your eyes?
Familiar and new in all the right ways, After EP 2 is a delight for the ears, perfectly combining throwback sounds with innovative effects and vocal styling.
Experience After’s full EP here.