My heart warmed and a smile jumped onto my face on the evening of Sept. 18, as I opened a text from a friend that read “new Saint Motel album.” I raced to open my music app in order to confirm the news. It was true. Los Angeles based band Saint Motel returned this week with “The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Pt. 2,” a new EP in what is slated to be a three-part project. The new release is upbeat, fun and reminds listeners what Saint Motel does best: make people happy. 

Similarly to “Pt. 1,” “Pt. 2” features five unique songs, providing the EP with a versatile sound. “Pt. 2” is perfect for blasting in the car, dancing and studying in the library; a delicate balance that Saint Motel is no stranger to perfecting. The band has had numerous hits over the years, with the song “My Type” being one of their most recognizable works. “My Type” was originally released in 2014 and was subsequently featured on the EA Sports FIFA 15 soundtrack as well as recently becoming extremely popular on TikTok. Still, even fans who only know about Saint Motel as the creators of “My Type” or any of their other more popular songs will certainly not be disappointed with “The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Pt. 2.”

Admittedly, I am slightly biased in my opinion of Saint Motel. I have listened to them for a long time, scrutinized the lyrics of their songs and was even lucky enough to be able to see them in concert last February before the coronavirus restrictions began. I am not exaggerating when I say it was one of the best nights of my life. The atmosphere they created and the music they performed brought me great joy, as I feel their music has a unique ability to do. Listening to “Pt. 2” takes me back to that night when we danced together, celebrated good music and smiled about nothing in particular. The new EP seems to follow a theme for four out of the five songs, discussing the difficulties and triumphs of a romance. The first song, “Make Me Feel Like,” discusses a fear of loneliness with rather serious lyrics: “There’s only so much that my heart can take / I get so close and then I hesitate / I don’t wanna die alone / I want somebody make me feel like.” Reading these lyrics, one might think the song would be very melancholy, yet this is not the case. The tempo is quick, the music is upbeat and it sounds almost as if the song is used as a stepping stone for the rest of the EP. 

“Slow Dance” and “Preach,” the second and third songs on the project, are perhaps where the EP succeeds most. The lyrics are extremely happy and describe beautiful, joyous moments. Yet, these lyrics are slightly overshadowed by the instrumentals in these two songs. In a fashion that is reminiscent of their previous hits, the use of instruments, upbeat tempo and stretches of time without any singing in “Slow Dance” and “Preach” are sure to put the listener in an excellent mood. Simply put, they are almost impossible not to get up and dance to. 

The versatility of the album is best displayed in the fourth song, titled “A Good Song Never Dies.” Whatever romantic, feel-good theme that the rest of the EP had is thrown out the window for this song; an examination of the feeling that comes with a “good song” is paired with a Halloween-esque melody. It is an odd pairing that is difficult to describe, to be sure, but it comes together to produce a song that is unique in both its message and instrumentals. 

“A good song never dies / It just reminds you of where you were / The first time it made you cry, the first time you felt alive.” These lyrics from “A Good Song Never Dies” are perhaps the best way to summarize “The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: Pt. 2.” The second installment of the three-EP series from Saint Motel will not only have you singing along and dancing without a care in the world, but it will also force the listener to be introspective and to remember both the good and bad times in their life. While the songs are joyful, they are also incredibly human and vulnerable. They remind us that every moment is fleeting and that we should make the most of the moments that we have, both to feel happy and to feel alive.