Album Review: The Haunt Release New Addiction

I definitely didn’t wake up thinking I’d be reviewing music today. Honestly, I’ve been buried in

deadlines, fighting off some kind of low-budget plague, and generally trying to maintain the

illusion of adult functioning from my couch. And then boom an email shows up inviting me to

review a release. Against all logic, I felt a spark. Turns out, no matter how fried I am, new

music still cuts through the static. Some habits die hard and I’m always curious, especially

when it leans into the kind of sound I already enjoy. Is that a bit close-minded? Probably. Do

I care? Not really.

I went in completely blind with the songs they sent, no background check. I didn’t know

anything about the artists and decided to keep it that way for a first impression. The duo is

The Haunt. I hit play and started the album the only correct way: from the top, like some

chaotic neutral purist.

"New Addiction" immediately gave me Taylor Momsen flashbacks from my preteen years

(hers too), I guess. But that vibe doesn’t stick long, by the time the first chorus hits, it’s more

Lzzy Hale. It’s a great opener. You don’t need to know the band to get pulled in. There aren’t

any massive drops or breakdowns; they’re not trying to reinvent alt rock. It leans toward a

pop-rock-but-make-it-edgy vibe, you can kind of dance while pretending you're light

moshing.

The instrumental feels like you’re buzzed at 2 a.m., letting someone even more buzzed take

the wheel. Slightly chaotic, but somehow it works. The lyrics talk toxic love, obviously things

aren’t meant to sound clean. The synths do most of the heavy lifting for the atmosphere. It’s

catchy, fun, and slightly unhinged in the best way. But I wouldn’t choose it as a first and title

track (Pick one. Doing both puts more emotional responsibility on the song than it can

actually handle).

Next up: "Bad Omen". (I had to physically restrain myself from adding the “s.” Bad Omens is

currently my unhealthy obsession.) The second track didn’t catch me at first. But when

Maxamillion comes in during Verse 2, I perked up. There’s a raw, punky energy to his voice

that finally brought the bite I expected from a song called Bad Omen. Anastasia sounds

more restrained here, emotionally locked in. The song is fast, the bass hits hard, the drums

groove, and there’s a crunchy guitar moment during the breakdown that hits just right.

"Going Under" is relentless. Fast-paced and frantic, in a good way. It’s about emotional

burnout, frustration, repetition, and probably screaming internally while pretending

everything’s fine. The bridge is the real winner here; it takes the song up a notch. The chorus

is the kind that clings to your brain. But this song was begging for more drums. This is your

moment to go full emotional, don’t show up with a tap-tap instead of a boom-boom-pow. Let

it scream. We’re supposed to be going under. That chorus had potential to be cathartic

chaos. We’re not okay. Hit harder.

Then comes "Masochist Lovers", undeniably the album’s power move. It’s soft and brutal,

seductive and volatile. The dual vocals in the breakdown don’t just work, they snap. It’s the

perfect clash: a delicate voice against a rougher one, circling the same emotional black hole

from different angles. By the time the pre-chorus hits, you’re in too deep to pretend you’re

not invested. Anastasia’s delivery on the first line is razor-sharp. Fast groove, high stakes,

and that chorus: “Keep on making it worse / We knew this would hurt” it’s amazing.

"Blood Red Heart" didn’t do much for me. I gave it multiple listens just to be sure I wasn’t

missing something, but... nope. It’s emotional, like the rest of the album, but maybe too

clean? Too melodic? Meh. Not bad, just not my thing.

"Claws" left me conflicted. I like the instrumental, it’s got some garage grit and a smidge of

blues...but vocally, it felt like too much of the same. Anastasia spends a lot of time up high,

and I wanted some dynamic range. Something to breathe. At this point in the album, a little

softness wouldn’t hurt me.

Then came "Teeth", finally, that breath I was looking for. It's about being in a relationship

where you feel more alone than when you're actually alone (Which hits different when you're

writing this during Brazil’s Valentine’s day). It’s more contained and introspective. The only

thing that bugged me was the repetitive “Ooh-oh-oh’s” in the chorus, I think they diluted

some of the emotional impact. Still, a solid track. Quietly bitter.

"Dead 2 Me" is calm with sharp spikes. It starts with Anastasia asking, “Did I bleed too much

and did it get on you?” So... yeah, things got messy. There’s a hint of self-doubt and a

descent into mental chaos. Sonically is though, it gave me slight Disney channel ballad

energy, don’t know. Would’ve been interesting to hear her vocals clean, no distortion, just

raw.

"The Worst in Me" is the second-to-last track and could be my favorite. It’s post-punkish,

moody, immersive. My favorite guitar tone of the whole album lives here. The narrator is

brutally honest, self-reflective, and still very earworm-y

And then there’s "Own Me" it’s been my favorite from the first listen. No competition. It's

addictive without being cheap, well-crafted, and it ties everything up with just the right

amount of emotional drama. Every part lands, especially the chorus:

“Getting over it slowly, depression is lonely / I'm so lost inside my head / All of the secrets,

I'm dying to keep 'em / Feels like I'm already dead.” Also, the pre-chorus actually builds into

the chorus

According to Genius, the album was produced by Kevin Thrasher, and yeah, you can hear

his fingerprints all over it. I don’t follow his work, but I do recognize songs he’s been involved

in, and weirdly enough, I like those too. Go figure.

And here’s the kicker: when I finally looked the duo up on Spotify, I realized I had heard them

before. I even had one of their tracks saved, Cigarettes & Feelings, their most-streamed

song. So maybe my insomniac 3 a.m. music searches aren’t completely useless after all.

To wrap it up: this is a well-structured album with a strong sonic identity that actually sticks to

its concept. It’s energetic, youthful, and laced with that charming little rebellion. Bonus point:

I found out one of my friends had multiple tracks from this record favorited, so either the

album really resonates, or my friend is way more in tune with this vibe than I thought...Could

go either way.