HAIM
It's easy to be cynical about Haim. On one hand it all seems so contrived: three sisters who've previously had pop star aspirations finding their place in the spotlight via not-quite-underground indie circles playing an excessively polished brand of groovy pop that is frankly irresistible and oh-so-bloggable. But their first album makes it hard to deny that they have the songwriting and performing nous to back it up.
Days Are Gone starts in familiar territory; we've had time to sit on Falling, Forever and The Wire – practically perfect pop songs – but they proceed to prove they have more where that came from. The soulful pop-leaning title track is a sure-fire radio single, the dirty and dark R&B of My Song 5 channels Prince, while Running If You Call My Name has Haim jumping on the big cavernous, reverb-laden synth pop that's so prominent in the indie scene right now. Frankly, this is a record destined to be played in hairdressing salons all over the world; it's slick, sexy and just edgy enough to not feel like a guilty pleasure.
Rest assured Haim will become very popular in the coming months and years; there's simply no way they can't. But even if and/or when that hype dies down, we'll still realise their songs are great and that they're the kind of band we need far more of in the realm of commercial pop.
