Album Review: HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III

HAIM are back with their third full-length album, Women In Music Pt. III - and it might just be their best one yet.

A solo sax - a new addition to the HAIM sound that’s sprinkled throughout the album - kicks off opener Los Angeles, which sees the San Fernando Valley sister outfit express a yearning to escape their hometown.

Written during a post-tour comedown which saw Alana Haim face the loss of her best friend, Este Haim struggle with her Type 1 Diabetes, and the cancer diagnosis of Danielle Haim's partner Ariel Rechtshaid (who co-produced the record), Women In Music Pt. III features more vulnerable, heavy and emotionally intimate lyrics (such as on Hallelujah, Now I’m In It and I’ve Been Down) than previous releases.

The record's name, Women In Music Pt. III is a light dig at anyone who still thinks women playing music is a novelty. "Hey girl, why don’t you play a few bars?/ Oh, what’s left to prove?" sings Danielle over the raw guitars of Man From The Magazine. The album benefits greatly from HAIM embracing the freedom that comes with no longer feeling like they have something to prove.

With layered harmonies, big acoustic drums and frequent guitar solos, their rhythm-focused sound continues to be nostalgic for pop and classic rock of the '60s and early '70s. Leaning On You has acoustic Fleetwood Mac vibes and there are definite nods to Lou Reed (on Summer Girl) and Joni Mitchell, whose Both Sides Now record is referenced in the lyrics of I Know Alone. There are also a few left-field wildcards thrown into the mix, like breezy R&B jam 3am. 

With Women In Music Pt. III, HAIM doesn't hold back.