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At the time of writing, 90% of New Addiction is available on your favourite streaming service, making this ‘upcoming release’ less of an exclamation mark and more of a curated playlist. The sibling duo, made up of singer Anastasia Grace Haunt and guitarist Max Haunt, have kept fans well-fed for years now, releasing a steady stream of singles since officially launching THE HAUNT in 2018. In refusing to let the digital momentum drop, they have built up a back catalogue of road-tested material without ever having to pin their name to something as conventional as an album. Having released most of these songs monthly since August of last year, it is time to put a bow on them and present these ten tracks as a proper collection.
Which makes New Addiction feel like a diary entry of sorts. Here is who THE HAUNT are in 2025. This is what we sound like, what we believe in, what we have to say. On the title track, they find euphoria in dysfunction, pairing lustful obsession – “can’t get me out of your brain, memorising every inch of me” – with danger and deception – “ignoring all of the signs, sped through all the red lights, never gonna learn my lesson.” It’s a pop-rock floor-filler on which Anastasia’s voice sounds equal parts pop girlie and brash dive-bar provocateur. It’s confessional and anthemic, the perfect cocktail for screaming one’s heart out. It pairs with Own Me, a sorrow-soaked duet with MOD SUN on which the high wears off, the glamour is gone, and rock ’n’ roll guitars tell the sober story of breakdowns and breakups.
What impresses most is how THE HAUNT blend new with old. There’s no shying away from retro riffing, like on Bad Omen, but as with their contemporaries in NOVA TWINS, the guitar work is given a modern sheen without losing any retro coolness. Anastasia brings the smoky, timeless approaches of Lzzy Hale and Taylor Momsen when giving it full-throttle, but Dead 2 Me would have fit neatly into Olivia Rodrigo’s epic Glastonbury headline set.
Maybe it’s time for the band’s debut full-length album because they’ve got things figured out. It certainly sounds like it: compare these tracks to those from years past and it’s like visiting the IMAX after watching a film on VHS. There’s a deeper fuzz and rumble bringing these tunes to life, courtesy of Max on production duties, and that energy never drops whether the band are calling for chaos or conducting a chorus. There’s a vibrancy here, not to mention a confidence, that says they’re ready for you to take notice.
With most of these tracks sitting around the two-and-a-half-minute range, New Addiction is a whirlwind that leaves almost as soon as it arrives. It’s a messy, sweaty, makeup-stained party for those with big hair and big boots ready for a big night. It’s full-hearted, dramatic, and more than a little therapeutic. If this is what the siblings have been working towards, it has all been worth it.
Rating: 8/10
New Addiction is out now via Nettwerk.
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The post ALBUM REVIEW: New Addiction – The Haunt appeared first on Distorted Sound Magazine.
