HAUNTING POE

Haunted is Poe’s second full-length release since the 1995 hit Hello, which introduced the mainstream to Poe’s world of twisted romance and dreamlike lyrics. The first few seconds of Haunted is all you need to hear to know you are in for an album with a story behind it. The first track, “Exploration B”, is a phone call from Poe to her mother, informing her about the death of her father in a melodic tone of voice. From there it moves to the title track, “Haunted”, which automatically gives you a sense of the style and sophistication that has blossomed since Hello. Honestly, this is my favorite track on the disc due to its great emotional sense and a weird, almost ethereal, flow. The next few songs, “Control” and “Terrible Thought”, hold a lot of the old Poe style with the sense of dominating depression and taste of misery, but with a much more balanced musical feeling. The final product sounds richer and more produced than before. “Walk the Walk” is a track right up there with the angst-heavy songs of Liz Phair. The electronic styling of most of the tracks stems thoughts and techniques from bands such as Garbage and Curve (which also boast female vocalists). The difference is that Poe has taken these techniques to her own level, blending in acoustic guitar, drum machines and real drum sets, as well as deep distorted vocals juxtaposed with smooth, sexy lyrics. “Not A Virgin” is an excellent example of that sex-in-effect theory as well as the weird distortions of guitar and drumbeats. Overall, Haunted is definitely something to check out if you are a Poe fan, or a fan of any of the other bands mentioned. It challenges the limits set by Hello and is deeper, more sophisticated, and haunting than ever before.