Set It Off | After Midnight | Album Review

Fearless Records

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Looking at Set It Off’s new EP, After Midnight, it may be confusing as to why there are Parts One and Two of the release. The band released two songs at different times to serve as an extension to their other album titled Midnight. Part One was released as a single while the second part contains the second song as well as the first single. Even though the extension adds more variety to their most recent album, the EP is both a hit and miss.

The first and also the weakest song, “So Predictable” is repetitive and doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Other songs on the original album discuss the complicated relationships between people. However, this song discusses how one person knows every move of another until it gets old.

The instrumentation is not as aggressive, nor is it as sorrowful as tracks on Midnight with the stringed instruments. It feels more like pop took over the blend of alternative and rock. It may be catchy, but the theme doesn’t fit that of the established album. The song feels lazy and rushed compared to tracks like “Criminal Minds” and “Hourglass” off the group’s 2019 record.

The second song “Catch Me If You Can” is in line with the style of this particular album and discusses how people who doubt individuals with goals in life are wasting their time; there is no point to this aggression towards each other because everyone is on their own journey. This song returns to the instrumentation like on the core album the EP is an extension of; it is aggressive rather than sorrowful with loud guitar striking each note and chord with lots of energy.

Set It Off’s new extension adds variety to their existing album Midnight. However, having one weak song that makes up half of the extension makes it feel neutral. Fans get more songs to listen to, but only one of them holds up to the standards the group is known for.