Until They Burn Me revisit the pull of destruction on ‘Addict’

There’s a particular kind of honesty in ‘Addict’ that comes from distance travelled rather than distance observed. Until They Burn Me, the long-running creative partnership of Cody Carlyle and Travis Jordan, approach the subject from lived experience, and that gives the song a weight that sits beneath its scrappy, nostalgic exterior.

The pair have been making music together for more than 35 years, including a period when both were homeless and battling addiction. And that history allows ‘Addict’ to focus on one of the more difficult contradictions at the centre of dependency: the ability to resent something while still being drawn back towards it.

Musically, the track looks back towards the garage and skate-rock sounds of the late 80s and early 90s, with a slight funk-metal edge that recalls the more unruly side of early Faith No More. The guitars feel loose and immediate, while the rhythm keeps the song moving with the kind of restless energy that suits the subject.

The music pushes forward even as the lyrics examine self-destruction, creating a contrast between physical momentum and emotional instability. That friction keeps the song from becoming too heavy-handed, while still allowing the darker ideas to register.

Carlyle and Jordan now record remotely from home studios in Washington and Ohio, building tracks across the distance instead of operating as a conventional live band. It’s a slow process, but one that seems to suit music this personal, as the songs are allowed to take shape through persistence rather than immediacy.

Until They Burn Me borrow the energy of the rock they grew up with and place something much heavier underneath. ‘Addict’ is direct, bruised and compelling because it recognises how complicated the pull of the past can remain.