A debut album that could pass for a greatest-hits collection, Days Are Gone will provide musical comfort food for some, and possibly an introduction to irony-free pop for others. The best moments here, such as the bookends "Falling" and "Running If You Call My Name," would be great pop songs regardless of when they sound like they're from. Still, it's the writing that ultimately prevents Days Are Gone from being just an extremely accurate exercise in nostalgia.
Change your clocks accordingly, everyone, because it’s Haim time. Off the back of this debut album, all this is only the beginning. Este’s bass-face is already a staple of popular culture, and their frantic live sets are already the hot ticket. This song, along with much of Days Are Gone, features production by Ariel Rechtshaid, whose work with Usher and Vampire Weekend proves he has the breadth to help Haim unite their ideas into a coherent sound. ‘Days Are Gone’ confirms what everybody already knew in fabulous style that Haim are the band to shout about. Over the course of the album, Haim captures and explores the nuances within the styles they're reviving: there's the sweet soft rock of "Honey & I" or "Don't Save Me," the title track's tight synth-pop, and the dark, driving territory of "Let Me Go" and "My Song 5," which, with its slinky melody and hard-hitting beats, makes the most of the trio's much-touted R&B influences. Compared to the thin voices of so many 2010s pop stars, singer Danielle Haim's rich alto only adds to the group's throwback feel, but like her sisters, she's remarkably versatile.
The hard work paid off: Days Are Gone is full of should-be hits like "The Wire," which boasts a big, fist-pumping beat and sassy guitar licks (they can only be called that). Not that Haim's approach is unstudied the trio obviously did their homework to revive and embody these sounds so perfectly, and it took them five years of recording and re-recording these songs until they had just the right mix of smoothness and immediacy. Likewise, these songs revel in that era's sometimes-cheesy flourishes without a trace of irony, and the gated drums, gleaming synths, and muted guitars that dominate Days Are Gone haven't sounded so good since their original heyday. Days Are Gone sounds all the more unusual precisely because it's so mainstream a list of their influences - Stevie Nicks, Phil Collins, En Vogue, Shania Twain - looks like a glance at the Top 40 from about 25 years before the album's release. While many of their contemporaries engaged in a contest to find the most obscure influences, and '80s revivalists sucked synth-pop and new wave dry, the Haim sisters dug up the decade's biggest, poppiest sounds and fashioned a captivating debut album out of them. So please let the HAIM take over a big part of your heart.There is nothing cool about Haim's music, and that's why it's so refreshing. Its refreshing to find an album that you can listen to over and over again.ĭays are Gone is one of those rear albums where every track is excellent and is clearly one of the best debuts of the year. The album transports listeners back to a simpler time when singers could sing and only talented people where on the radio. Songs like The Wire and the title track Days are Gone are reminiscent of 80s group THE BANGLES. There is also a healthy amount of synthesizers used on many tracks which gives the album an air of 80’s nostalgia. Adding to the quality of album are the famed producers it features, James Ford ( ARCTIC MONKEYS, FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE) and Ariel Rechtshaid (USHER, VAMPIRE WEEKEND).
It’s not just the trio’s exquisite vocals that makes the album a must listen but their skills as instrumentalists as well (Este plays bass Danielle plays guitar and Alana, plays guitar and keyboards). Each track is extremely catchy and danceable which makes Days are Gone a truly fun album from start to finish. Both influences show through in many ways on their debut album, from the up tempo beats to their flawless harmonizing. Este, Danielle and Alana are a talented trio of sisters that draw their inspiration from the 70s soft rock and 90s R&B girls groups.
After receiving critical acclaim for their Forever EP fans have been waiting for a year for their debut album Days are Gone which is due out September 30th. The all girl, Los Angeles based group HAIM is an indie pop band with a laid back party vibe that is as infectious as it is nostalgic.