HAIM- " I quit"

 

The Haim sisters are back after five years, which in pop music is an eternity, given how attention spans and trends cycle out. In being generous and taking things like touring into consideration, we can say they had 3 years to follow "Women in Music pt 3" which was a career-defining album, that elevated the band's status. All of this is to say it's reasonable to have high expectations for this album.  They are quick to put the brakes on those with the opening track "Gone," which might have been better served as a deeper cut. I had heard a few of the lead singles going into this album, so I knew this was not their best declaration of their return, these sessions had to offer. 

The two songs that follow would have worked better to open the album, as they are stellar. They are also two of the singles leading up to the album release."All Over Me" and "Relationships," which are pop songs with the sister's brand of clever marking, both the lyrics and the music. There is a more 90s pop rock feel to "Down to Be Wrong' which reminds me of Sheryl Crow, with some Zeppelin punches thrown in here and there. The indie rock jangle of "Take me back" finds the vocals on the verses bringing the Violent Femmes to mind. So this album seeks to get their footing back into their indie roots, more than trying to follow Taylor Swift's footsteps. 

"Love you right" took a couple of listens to grow on me. It's organic enough to give the thoughtful vocals room to work. "The farm" sounds like it should have been on a Waxahatchee album. It's a country-tinged ballad that is strummed plaintively. The vocals sit back into "Lucky stars" but it's a case where experimenting with what normally works for them pays off. The vocal production on this song is great and contrasts with the more lo-fi guitar sound. Bon Iver lent a hand writing 'Million Years".  It finds an electronic beat bubbling under the vocals, and it took a few listens to grow on me.

The more casual pace of "Everybody's trying to figure me out" works, and the arrangement is more unique than what is going on in pop today, which is the sweet spot the girls need to be more focused on. "Try to feel my pain" has a more mellow 70s New York funk vibe. Her subdued vocals coast gracefully over this to work well. There is a more indie dance groove moving "Spinning," which works well enough for what they are going for and is still on brand for them. "Cry" is a more soulful 70s blues-tinged ballad, and there is a more organic, almost country feel to "Blood on the Street". It's "Now it's time" that comes closer to what you want from these gals. Though when this song ended iTunes shuffled over to "Something to Tell You" and started playing "I Want You Back" and none of these songs capture that energy. I will still give this a 9.5, as it is more organic, they are still solid songwriters, and perhaps better musicians now, 8 years later. 

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