Almost ten years ago in 2009, Scarlett Johansson and Pete Yorn released a small album titled "Break Up". It was a small, dinky little thing, heavy on instruments and very reminiscent of 2009's music style. (Think less on the synthesizer and much, much, much more guitar.) The more memorable hits of the EP included "Shampoo" and "Blackie's Dead", both of which utilized Johansson's voice well and ultimately came out to a very folksy feel.

At the time, it seemed to be a one-off project in which Johansson dabbled in the music industry before ultimately returning to acting. And for a while, it was: now and again, a song would be released featuring Johansson herself -- a haunting solo titled "Before My Time" from the documentary "Chasing Ice", an equally haunting role in Joaquin Pheonix's film "Her", and, of course, her role in the movie "Sing". Meanwhile, Yorn went on with his own music career, releasing three more albums after the EP's release.

Now, in 2018, the two have reunited to release "Apart", a five-song EP that seems to have taken up directly where "Break Up" left off. "'Apart' is dealing with the aftermath [of a breakup]," Yorn said once in a press release. "It acknowledges the array of heavy emotions that come up living separate lives. You're getting used to the idea of not being with someone who has been a big part of your life." For Johansson, it was an opportunity to revisit her musical career in a different manner.

"In a decade of time, so much has happened," she explains. "We're coming in out of relationships, we're both parents now, we've grown as artists. It feels like a step we probably couldn't have taken 10 years ago because we didn't have the perspective that we have now." Their personal growth is one that's obviously reflected in the new EP, which seems to have journeyed from a rustic indie alternative to a slower, hazier indie alternative that represents the rebranding the term's gotten in the last decade.

Out of the five songs, four are originals, while the last one, "Tomorrow", is Johansson's take on Yorn's song from 2016. All five songs carry a distinctly hazy feel, most likely due to the heavy amount of bass used throughout the EP. As before, Yorn and Johansson's voices blend together to smoothly wind their way through the tracks, something that's most notable in their first song "Iguana Bird". Accompanying that are a set of catchy hooks with the repeating lines "Do you like how you're spending your time/do you like how you're living your life away from here", and again allows Johansson to show off her unusually low range.

"Bad Dreams" is the highlight of the tracklist -- and it's clear why the duo chose to use it as their single. It highlights the message they're trying to spread with the EP as a whole; ("pessimistic as it seems/sleep will never come that easy/we will always have bad dreams") no matter how long you may be out of a break up, it will always haunt you in one way or another. Johansson even nails a particular anxiety with the line "falling in love and getting over it too soon and way too fast". Even if it wasn't in the wake of a breakup, the sentiment would still stand.

The haze continues on throughout the tracks "Cigarillo" and "Movies", with the tempo slowing down considerably from "Iguana Bird" and "Bad Dreams", showcasing the slow, soul-searching process of going through the aftermath of a breakup. It's the stage in which perhaps you've gone through all of your emotions and are just starting on the process of recovery, one day at a time.

Though it is more of a cover than an original, Johansson's version of "Tomorrow" is an ideal way to end to the EP, as it jazzes the tempo of the album significantly to the point where it seems there is hope for the next day. While Yorn's original version is fairly upbeat and similar to the one on the EP, Johansson's voice adds an upper melody as well as makes the song just that much catchier. If there was ever a song that matched the descriptor of "jamming out in the car to", it is that quality which sets its apart from Yorn's version.

In all, "Apart" follows its nearly decade-old predecessor quite well, evolving its style with the style of the times. One could go so far as to say it was almost eighties in its stature, the excessive use of synth and mellowness reflecting the attitude of the time very well. It's worth listening to if you're driving alone at night -- just make sure to drive slowly to take it all in.