Haunt the Woods’ new single Supernova is melancholic, stirring ballad that brilliantly embodies the reflective, ethereal motifs hinted at by their debut album ‘Opaque’, due to be released on February 28th, 2020.

Powerfully lifted by sharp, striking piano chords, the song is steeped in a sense of mystical connection, as evidenced by lead singer Jonathan Stafford’s gentle, pressing vocal performance. Following the release of Elephant and Amethyst earlier in the year, Supernova continues the band’s trend of exploring the otherworldly through the depth of human emotions and experiences. 

Their visuals and lyrical profile depict dreamy, spiritual underpinnings that otherwise reflect onto personal topics of love, failure, pain, loneliness, and struggle. Their aesthetic is what may set them apart from other bands in the pop-rock scene, and the way in which they blend their lyrical integrities with complex genre stylings is something to be noted for other artists catering to the same sort of listeners. Only in the chorus does the track divert from its slow, piano-laden elements and settle into an alternative-rock beat, demonstrating a familiar star power that many acts out of the UK have mastered over the years, including Radiohead, Coldplay, and the Script. They will be performing at the prestigious Islington on November 27th; they have already enjoyed packed crowds at other notable venues across the continent over the last year, including Glastonbury, Boardmasters and Port Eliot. 

Stafford has spoken out about the themes influencing the band’s sound in Opaque, something that is already seeming to be unique in terms of tone, structure, and content. “Drugs, alcohol, money, status, clothes and material possessions mask and help with the symptoms, but the problem still remains. We are all going to die and we are atoms contemplating atoms. All of this universe has come from somewhere, and it’s pretty fucking daunting and hard to get your head around.” While it’s hardly a surprise that Haunt the Woods are not hesitant to deal with the implications of death, it is quite incredible for them to be doing it with passion, wonder and longing. 

 Indie    Alternative