Haim are no strangers to pop’s transformative powers, nor to the heavy-handed approach of major record labels. Puzzled bloggers noted that it sounded like Shania Twain. By the time Haim released their big summer single, ‘The Wire’, it had mutated into a hammy slice of country-pop, complete with string section and Auto-Tuned coda. Their label, Polydor, no doubt sensing they might have hit the jackpot too, wheeled in big-shot producers Ariel Rechtshaid (Major Lazer, Vampire Weekend, Usher) and James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, Simian Mobile Disco), who added more bells and whistles than you’ll find in the Hamleys window display at Christmas. They won people over with their debut EP ‘Forever’ and some rapturously received performances at 2012’s SXSW. Part of the reason the wait has seemed so long is that Este, Danielle and Alana hit the jackpot relatively early. ‘Days Are Gone’ comprises some of their best live tracks (‘Forever’, ‘The Wire’, ‘Let Me Go’) and some songs that haven’t been played live (‘If I Could Change Your Mind’, ‘Days Are Gone’, ‘My Song 5’) and lacquers them all with a thick coat of studio gloss. It will come as a shock to fans of their live show, won over by their raw mix of blues guitar, close vocal harmony and big sister Este’s ‘bass face’. With the triumvirate of googly-eyed rhythms, sinfully catchy melodies and a breeziness that seems only fitting, they’ve served up one of the most auspicious debuts of the year.After what feels like forever, the debut Haim album is finally here. For band who released their first single less than 12 months ago, Days Are Gone is a sizable accomplishment. The most exciting thing about Haim’s sound is the number of potential direction they can take it from here. In the best-case scenario, as found on the irresistible “Don’t Save Me” or the nimble single “The Wire,” there are modestly incisive rundowns of love lost. The repeated chant of “Never look back/Never give up” on icebreaker “Falling” drives this point home quite well, along with crisp percussion and a metric ton of reverb gloss. If you need a little motivation, however, Haim have you covered. Then again, if you’ve come to this album looking for life advice, you’re in the wrong place. If Days Are Gone has a weak spot, it’s most definitely found in the lyrics. “My Song 5” brings Sleigh Bells levels of compression, while the titanium pulse of “Let Me Go” is both confrontational and entrancing. Danielle sounds like any one of Stevie Nicks, Fiona Apple and Victoria Legrande, but her heavy use of staccato inflections lends an electrifying R&B wiggle to “Forever” and “If I Could Change Your Mind.” When they do mix it up sonically, all of their affable qualities translate. While the production values are somewhat standardized, the album finds diversity by way of sundry rhythms and sharp vocal work. In other words, the kind of music that inspires honest-to-goodness excitement.Īnd if you like the Haim songs you’ve already heard, you’ll probably like the rest of them. The melodies are instinctive and effortless, the lyrics undemanding, and the production (courtesy of Ariel Rechtshaid and James Ford) is shiny and modern. Much of the appeal of Days Are Gone lies in the simplicity of its sometimes pop/sometimes rock songs. Instead, it’s so steady-handed, so influentially diverse, and so ludicrously enjoyable that you really should really do some soul searching if it doesn’t do something for you. Their debut album, Days Are Gone, avoids taking the path of least resistance, a path that can permanently hamper a buzz band’s outlook. They also have everything they need to be earmarked as a buzz band: musical ability, charisma, sex appeal, an appropriate swagger level, oodles of personality, and fistfuls of hooks.īut singer/guitarist Danielle, bassist Este, guitarist/keyboardist Alana Haim and drummer Dash Hutton are something more than just amalgamators. Their sound can find a kindred spirit in every decade since pop music has come into existence.
This isn’t lost on California sister act Haim ( HIGH-yim).
Combining existing sounds in different ways can be nearly as exciting as finding new ones.
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