Haunts is The Tired And True's successor to their 2010 debut full-length, Scenarios. Right off the bat, one of the most audibly apparent aspects to the EP is the overall improvement in the band's musicianship. Mixed and mastered by Hardcore icon, Jay Maas, the release promises to please.
The opener, Always Worse, is neither a Pop Punk nor Hardcore song, but before we got too caught up with mere labels, let me say it works as a superb introduction; its simplicity and brevity are the key to its success. The one minute, twelve second-long song truly encapsulates what the EP has to offer. Always Worse is one of those songs that continuously builds up to a level which is never really descends from, and the only way to keep climbing is by leaving it on repeat. The image of a chanting, airtight crowd comes to mind. The next track, Old Crow, is a more mellow rendition, while keeping an upbeat tempo. This song also shows a different side of the band, demonstrating they're capable of branching out and not restricting themselves to the Pop Punk/Hardcore norms. Personally, I found that Old Crow falls somewhat short as it rang too familiar and not as unique as it could've been. Love Bites, on the other hand, is the counterpart which redeems any potentially lost excitement. The line you've got love bites from God knows where, and I've just got splinters inside my head is unmeasurably catchy and clever. As I pondered over the thought for days, this was the song that reminded me how similar Zikaras' vocals are to those of Matt Pryor from The Get Up Kids. The musical aspect also shows a great deal of influence from bands like The Get Up Kids and even The Movielife and Saves The Day. The EP closes off with the title track, also the longest track at just under four minutes. Something I noticed on Haunts is how similar the structure can be between the songs; often the verses which glue together the intros, choruses, bridges, and outros resembled a good amount of similarity.
Overall, Haunts is a very much worthy addition to the ongoing list of releases within the relevant realm. Though I didn't individually review them, it's very pleasing to see that the band covers various lyrical topics, as opposed to restricting themselves to something like failed relationships or politics. I would have liked a slightly lengthier release, but already having a full-length under their belts, it's understandable. EPs of this length always have pros and cons; on one side listeners can be left wanting more, while also fuelling the anticipation for future releases. Haunts will by all means take The Tired And True forward on a path on which I don't see much slowing them down.
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