[Album Review] AFTER SUNSET (4th Mini Album) – HIGHLIGHT

That promised album review that I mentioned during the week will be coming tomorrow. But before we get to that album review, I will be reviewing another album to get momentum going with the return of the album reviews. And today’s album is HIGHLIGHT’s AFTER SUNSET, the veteran group’s 4th mini-album (13th mini-album overall when including the mini-albums under their former group name B2ST). I have chosen AFTER SUNSET for review over some other albums as I did not review their earlier 2022 comeback with DAYDREAM (the group’s 4th studio album) led by the single DAYDREAM due to poor planning on my end. So I thought I make it a priority to review the group’s next album release, which happens to be AFTER SUNSET. Continue reading for my thoughts on HIGHLIGHT’s latest release.

1. Alone (Title Track) – Click here to read the full review for Alone. (6.5/10)

2. PAPER CUT – Following the title track is PAPER CUT, which dabbles into the R&B genre. For a song titled after something that can be quite painful, the verses for the song were noticeably smooth. This contrasts really nicely with the relatively more explosive chorus. The synth that makes up the centre of the chorus was quite memorable, but also helps set a moody and mature tone to the song. (8/10)

3. S.I.L.Y (Say I Love You) – Dreamy vocals take over in S.I.L.Y for this pop ballad. It is a neat song, with a promising yet hidden chorus. However, even months after the album’s release, I still take a while to register that I am listening to the choruses, as there isn’t a distinct moment of transition between the verses and choruses. (7/10)

4. PRIVACY – The first thing that really grabs my attention from PRIVACY is the zippy synth that kicks off the song. I also enjoyed the bass and crunchiness of the overall instrumental. I really liked the fact that the dance track really jumps out you. Even though some might say the instrumental is of a noisy kind, the members could still be heard vividly and they really showed their style in PRIVACY. (9/10)

5. I Don’t Miss You – Final song on this mini-album is I Don’t Miss You, another R&B track. This one is more on the traditional side in pretty much all aspects. But this doesn’t make it a bad song. Matter of fact, I Don’t Miss You is still a strong showing from the members. I liked their different vocals tone throughout the track, from breathy to low to clean. The inclusion of the voicemail just before the final chorus was also quite fitting. (7.5/10)