There aren’t many bands that scream “California” quite like Haim, even when their lead singer is going through a breakup.
And thus brings us to the bands fourth album, I quit, a declarative statement on the Haim sisters’ experience with relationships and the expectations that come with it.
Haim fans (and I know there are many of you here) will know this album does not feature Ariel Rechtshaid, with whom lead singer/guitarist Danielle Haim split after nine years. With his absence we have a far heavier influence of Vampire Weekend founder Rostam Batmanglij, which delivers a much softer sound than anything Haim have produced before.
This album also continues the journey the band have been on since Women In Music Pt III, one of the best collections of music put together this decade. WIMP3 was the most eclectic collection of music the Haim sisters assembled, and this album is a further departure from the indie-rock roots from which they built their initial fame.
So here we are then, led into a glimpse of the sisters’ lives as mostly single women (bassist Este Haim is engaged). The theme opens with a declartive statement from lead singer Danielle Haim: “Can I have your attention please Can I have your attention, please? / For the last time before I leave / On second thought, I change my mind /Been in this graveyard all my life”
“Freedom!” rings in the background, borrowing from George Michael, setting up the stage for the next phase of the triumvirate’s journey.
But the opening lyrics also give an insight into some of the struggles this album finds itself in, sometimes caught in between thoughts. That’s where it falls short at times, and where editing could be needed.
Songs like Lucky stars and Million years both show that maybe Haim could’ve done some editing. What this album ultimately lacks is the bite that Days are Gone and WIMP3 had.
It’s easy for the songs to bleed into each other with far less variation than the record’s predecessor, which is why Relationships is such a great change of pace. Sure, it doesn’t quite work as a single. But this springy R&B track is exactly what the album needs to not be boring. Frankly, it’s brilliant when not played in isolation from the rest of the track listing.
Other songs on this album feature the associations one would have with breakups and relationships. The biggest one, of course, is the whole idea of quitting altogether. The sisters are, frankly, done. And they’re happy to reclaim their authority over chauvanistic men whilst also dreaming of times when boys weren’t such a thing. Take me back, sung in a a brighter song-speak style than Lou Reed might’ve employed, brings us there.
Now, the band released many singles in the lead-up to the release of this album. Some of their best work might’ve gotten lost amidst all of this. There’s two I wanna bring to mind in particular: The farm and Cry.
Fitzie’s track of the day, part one: Cry, by Haim
Haim is strongest when all three sisters are on the same page and lifting each other up. That’s what we get with The farm, almost a part two to WIMP3’s Hallelujah.
But the song that might be the most refreshing is Este Haim’s lead vocal debut with Cry, which offers a beautiful texture that breaks through an album which could’ve sounded the same. That’s part of the benefits of having three strong vocalists. It’s very 90s in the most spectacular way. And it doesn’t hurt that the melody reminds me of Boy Blue from Electric Light Orchestra (if an octave or two lower).
So where does that leave us? Close to the end, with Blood on the streets And Now it’s time. The album finished one song too many.
I understand what Haim wanted to do here, and that was to bring the refrain from the opening track back - courtesy of borrowing some inspiration from U2’s Numb. It’s good, but it doesn’t quite deliver the same emotional punch as Blood on the street.
As of today, I would place this album third of the four Haim have put out (behind WIMP 3 and Days Are Gone). I don’t think it’ll be remembered as their best.
But what’s more important is that we’re seeing a band continuing to evolve, and that’s very exciting. Listen back to The Wire and then listen to Down to be wrong, and then maybe you’ll understand how the three sisters are expanding their sound.
It’s an excting adventure, and I’m looking forward to see where they go from here.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Blood on the street, by Haim
And now for your links:
The Athletic ($$): “Tottenham set to sign Japan international defender Kota Takai”
Alasdair Gold: “Sweeping Tottenham changes continue as top man placed on gardening leave”
BBC: “Man Utd make improved £60m bid for striker Mbeumo”
Independent: “The six-minute implosion which led Chelsea to defeat at Club World Cup”
ESPN: “Source: Forest agree to deal for Juventus’ Weah, Mbangula”
And now for your Haim links:
The New York Times: “For Haim, a Breakup Is an Inspiration”
Vogue: “Haim Isn’t Answering to Anyone”
Slate: “On Haim’s New Breakup Album, They Also Split With a Key Collaborator”
Pitchfork reviews I Quit
The Atlantic: “The New Old Sound of Adult Anxiety”
The New Yorker: “Haim Sets Off on a Rampage”
The Guardian: “Haim: I Quit review – the messiest breakup album of recent times, in every sense”
Los Angeles Times: “Haim’s new album gives vivid shape to a hard-to-define phase”
Variety: “Haim Takes a Rocky Path to Romantic Resignation in ‘I Quit’: Album Review”
