Noting the "spooky goth melodies and snapping, marching beats", Simpson also remarked that the vintage electro and industrial/EBM influences, which were "always evident in Hauff's work", came into full focus with Discreet Desires.

[5] Andy Battaglia of Rolling Stone regarded that the "vintage-signifying synth and drum-machine sounds plus a blocky, patterned approach to programming of the album peer back to the Eighties/Nineties early age of techno.

"[5] Nick Roseblade of Drowned in Sound wrote: "The melodies are polymerous, and Hauff’s deft technical flourishes mean that different instruments merge in and out of each other to create ever changing, but constant patterns.

"[9] Matt McDermott of Resident Advisor stated: "Some of the best moments on Discreet Desires occur when she's flexing these unexpected songwriting chops.

"[10] The Skinny critic Andrew Gordon thought that "individually, a number of the tracks make strong impressions but digested as a whole, their mechanical repetition and minimal melodic nuance becomes a little wearying.