On February 14, Role Model released the deluxe version of his sophomore album, “Kansas Anymore.” The deluxe version features four new songs: “Old Recliners,” “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” “Some Protector,” and “The Longest Goodbye.”  

At its core, “Kansas Anymore” is an album focused on the grief, heartbreak and homesickness that comes with the end of a long-term relationship. The deluxe version, “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” offers a deeper look into the closure that can come out of it.  

“Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” is a perfect mixture of slow and upbeat songs. It is an emotive showcase of classical pop-rock infused with a little country twang. Role Model’s storytelling guides listeners through the grief, denial, confusion, and loneliness that comes with a monumental breakup.  

The four deluxe tracks build on the themes of the original album, culminating in the last track on the album, “The Longest Goodbye”, which leaves listeners with a sense of closure and healing.  

“Old Recliners,” reflects on nostalgia and the passage of time. It is a reflection on the time spent with a past lover and the regret of leaving that person behind. Throughout the song, Role Model reminisces about his past relationship and how he will never be able to forget the time spent with his past partner, even if they decide to move on, he will always be thinking about them. He sings about using meaningless sex to help him move on and forget but all it does is lead him to overthink about what went wrong.  

“Sally, When The Wine Runs Out,” has a fun upbeat sound that makes you want to get up and dance, but the lyrics focus on how alcohol can distort your perception of reality and the difficulties that come with moving on from a past relationship. The song begins with a description of “Sally,” a potential new love interest for Role Model and then morphs into the fear that this new relationship will end the same way. He sings about falling headfirst into this new relationship, begging “Sally” to not give him the illusion that this new relationship will work out if she is going to leave him behind when reality hits. 

“Some Protector,” dives into the acceptance stage of a breakup where you finally accept that this relationship is long gone but despite all the hurt and time that has passed this person will always have a special place in your heart. The song feels like a juxtaposition, as Role Model refers to himself as his past lover’s protector while dragging on the relationship, or lack thereof, and asking intrusive questions about her new relationship. The bridge is one of the most gut-wrenching and vulnerable bridges to ever exist and shows how great of a storyteller Role Model is. All the tracks on “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” lead up to this moment where he is finally accepting that this past relationship is over, and he is able to come to terms with his feelings. The stylistic choice to layer his questions over his own answers in the outro feels like the first step toward closure and is the perfect lead up towards the final track of the album.  

“The Longest Goodbye,” feels like a page torn out of Role Model’s diary and solidifies “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” as one of the greatest breakup albums to exist. The song feels like a continuation of “Something, Somehow, Someday,” except that Role Model has now chosen to accept that him and his past lover may never reunite. He reflects on the end of the relationship and how his partner breaking up with him felt like the “[start of] a war” and how he has now come to accept that the version he knew of this person is nothing but a memory. He reflects on how it feels like this person has officially fallen out of love with him and he takes time to recognize his faults in the relationship with lyrics like “lovin’ me’s like doin’ a chore.” He provides insight into how distance and the lack of communication led to the downfall of this relationship. Though he has finally come to terms with its end, he still feels like this person has left a long-life impact on him that he may never be able to let go of.  

Overall, “Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye)” earns five out of five stars and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for Role Model as he singlehandedly brings back male popstars.