[Click for soundtrack]
What is it that make Haim so good? Why does everybody seem to love them? On the surface, they seem pretty regular conceptually (girl band, standard instrumentation), but when you dig deeper into Days Are Gone, we see a unified group that was literally made to rock. This kind of symmetry in a band doesn't grow on trees. Both instrumentally and vocally, it's like they're taking the same breaths or connected via some sort of musical telepathy. I've had to sell myself on their greatness so many times - it's like I'm constantly playing a game of devil's advocate with Haim. Most recently, I saw the light again on their splendid performance of "The Wire" on Saturday Night Live. The highlight was their harmony on the hook:
It felt bad
It felt right (right)
But I fumbled it when it
Came down to the wireWith the elder Este on the bass and middle sister Danielle on lead guitar harmonizing on "It felt bad. It felt right!" and Alana, the youngest, punctuating with "right!" it's the alpha example of them blending their voices together to achieve choral mastery. They have so much damn fun when they're doing it, and it's all so natural
Make no mistake about it, Danielle is really the star, but they're best together. It's what makes them different. Simple stuff like "oh ohs" and "ah ahs" almost become another instrument. Their voices layer and blend with the music and become an instrument that no other band possesses, but they also have a crazy ability to create an intense atmosphere in their songs. Like on "Go Slow":
I'll be hurting from the heat
Heat heat (x12)
Hurting from the heat
Heat heat (x12)The composition builds and the "heat" almost feels like it encapsulates the cold aura around you that the chilling drums purvey. It's like I hear them say "heat" and all I feel is my "cold" building and then quickly expiring. THIS is an atmosphere. Just look at the intensity that Este Haim brings to the table
Yeah, it's kinda laughable, but this chick is IN IT! And her basslines don't go forgotten. On the single that put 'em on the map, "Forever", there's not a second in the song where the bass line isn't totally BOSS. The nastiest song on the whole album is it's penultimate track, "Let Me Go," it sounds like they hijacked My Morning Jacket's silo to record it in. The re-verb in the vocals with Alana Haim flashing her melodic voice to compliment Danielle's rustic lead
And just when you think one of them is out on an island for too many bars, they chime in strategically and it's a flat out sexy chamber sound
Let me go
You know I'm not the one for leaving
Let me go
You know I'm nothing without your love
I know I'm nothing without your love
So let me goWith that fucking guitar closing it out...I'm jealous at how good it sounds. I wanna play guitar like that damnit! They've been born and bred to play music from an early age and this is them realizing their promise. Who knew that it'd be front and center stage of indie rock?!!? Days Are Gone is Haim at their purest and rawest sound. Frankly, I fear for what comes after this, because I feel like this it for them in the indiesphere. They are destined for greater things, like Dixie Chicks type shit. They're bigger than the stage they're on right now. This shit is just wayyy too marketable. Not to sound like a curmudgeon, but remember this record, cause it'll go down as their masterpiece
[Finally presses stop on the 7th listen of "Let Me Go" in a row"]
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To listen to any of the albums on our countdown, check out our spotify playlist here
Peep the archives of all of the albums reviewed up to this point
#12 is comin' up next!
