As if the original version of her album “Older” wasn’t tear-jerking enough, former Berklee College of Music student and widely revered lyricist Lizzy McAlpine added a few new hard-hitting emotional ballads in the deluxe version, titled “Older (and Wiser).”

Released in 2022, her first full-length album, “five seconds flat,” included popular songs like “ceilings” and “doomsday.” Although it saw great success, McAlpine often criticizes the work, saying it was not an accurate representation of who she is as a person and artist.

Her touring style changed as well, with the first album being toured as a traditional, stand-up, danceable show and “Older” being toured as a relaxed, studio-style concert, where the artist, band and audience stay seated.

“Older” was originally released on April 5 this year and was true to its name in every way. The album shows big strides from “five seconds flat” in maturity and instrumentation. It tells a valuable story of growing out of what doesn’t serve the storyteller anymore. This album seems to be a metaphor for McAlpine’s career as a whole — feeling a disconnect from her former writing style and creating a new look and sound for herself as an artist.

The deluxe version of the album features five new tracks — “Method Acting (Demo),” “Pushing It Down and Praying,” “Soccer Practice,” “Force of Nature” and “Spring Into Summer.”. These pieces are cohesive with the rest of the album — they create the same sense of getting older, with the same types of musical elements and design yet tell a different story entirely within themselves.

All these songs seem to share a theme — forcing oneself to love someone or do something one’s heart is not completely in.

Releasing “Method Acting (Demo)” in a demo format allowed McAlpine to show a stripped-back side of her art, yet she still ensures it won’t sound like a complete rough draft. There’s nothing else to say about this song other than it’s truly beautiful. It’s apparent that McAlpine needs no elaborate production to create music that gets the listener in their feels.

This repertoire is continued in “Pushing it Down and Praying” which was released as a single two weeks before. The song continues to tell the story of someone not totally in love with their partner.

“Force of Nature” opens with the line “Who am I if not your lover?” It describes how becoming comfortable in a relationship can influence someone’s sense of self. While this can be an intensely personal concept, vulnerability is the trademark of McAlpine’s storytelling. Her audience is no stranger to it — in fact, it’s what draws many listeners in.

“Spring Into Summer” is the final installment of the album’s story. This being the last song on the album is clearly intentional, as it conveys the idea that the storyteller is accepting that they will continue going back to that person. All the heartbreak, beauty, restlessness and strength this album tells of shows the listener it’s possible to accept what is not perfect. “Spring Into Summer” concludes the album with a comforting and happy melody, satisfyingly tying the album shut with a ribbon.

In the most beautiful way, these songs are absolutely devastating. It curates a story of someone trapped where they sometimes don’t want to be. McAlpine has a talent for simple lyrics that are mind-blowingly clever — she makes it look easy. However, creating an album and deluxe version as artistically striking as this has to be anything but. With the addition of these five songs, McAlpine has once again told a painstakingly beautiful story through music.

Rating: 5/5