For some time now, Switzerland band Apartment 99 have been whetting appetites ahead of their latest project Addicted.
In September, the four-piece rockers of Apartment 99 hinted in an interview with Happy Mag at the sonic “shift” they planned to take on the EP, before digging deep into the genesis and meaning of each song with a track-by-track breakdown last week.
Now, after weeks of masterful teasing and world-building, Apartment 99’s new EP Addicted has finally arrived, and it’s every bit as dynamic as they’d promised.
Addicted opens with the all-out pop-punk bliss of the title track, which features all riotous the staples of the genre while also bringing Apartment 99’s own distinct flairs. There’s the sneering vocals of bandmate William, who flits between bratty delivery and tuneful melody with finesse.
He’s helped along by the screechy, garage-bound strums of Finn, and the coursing throughline of Julian’s bass. With pop-punk receiving a resurgence in recent years, Addicted stands as a worthy contribution to the sound’s ascendence.
After mastering an instrumental breakdown and climactic bridge on that track, Apartment 99 tread grungier corners on My Daydream.
Here, the band play with pop stylings like applauding sound effects and doo-wop harmonies, before unleashing their noisier tendencies with reverb-heavy guitar and a scowling vocal performance.
While each entry of Addicted would feel at home on the soundtrack of an angsty teen movie, it’s third track Shelter In You that realises this potential to the fullest.
There’s an air of slow-going acoustic pop to the song’s opening moments, showcasing Will’s most vulnerable delivery yet — but don’t let the initial slow pace fool you.
Shelter In You houses the EP’s most triumphant chorus, so earwormy and filled with attitude that it can’t help but recall the aesthetics of Freaky Friday or Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
This commitment to the kind of sound you’d imagine blaring from a teenager’s bedroom only continues on Best Of Me, a post-grunge effort reminiscent of a Seether or Foo Fighters cut.
It’s on this penultimate track that Apartment 99’s talent for lyricism shines brightest, as the band muse on friendships that have run their course.
These kinds of universal stories are littered all throughout Addicted, with Shelter In You reflecting on self-doubt and My Dream lamenting non-reciprocal relationships.
Apartment 99’s efforts culminate on EP closer Everything I Cherish, the project’s clearest foray into metal territory. Here, harsh and distorted vocals cut through grungy guitar sections and thunderous drum rolls, with the result being a teeth-bearing, head-thrashing delight.
So what are you waiting for? Listen to Apartment 99’s new EP Addicted below.
