“Haunts Me Now” invites dissection. Certainly, the single from Radiator King separates itself from the pack because of the candidness carried in the intelligently written lyrics, as well as the vocal commitment to the sentiment of those lyrics. Still, only by examining some of the individual elements of “Haunts Me Now” can the song be fully appreciated. It isn’t a true dissection, because it is an examination of individual “limbs” and how they cooperate with the rest of the body.
The first example is the 12-second intro and its gentle attractiveness. The guitar tugs at the listener’s attention and sets expectations for the body of “Haunts Me Now.” Then, the vocals enter, and the expectations require a reboot. The voice is not melodically smooth in a manner consistent with the intro. Instead, memories are presented by a gruff voice. The reminiscing explains that while he once was “left black and blue for days,” he can now take on any man here. But for the most part, a memory of the past still “haunts me now.”
