HAIM: Days Are Gone

After what feels like an eternity, HAIM's debut album is finally here. But don't worry, the wait has been worthwhile. 'Days Are Gone' is full of music that tunnels into your mind and remains there. It is inexhaustible, impossible and  intoxicating to listen to. 

Since HAIM's success with their early EP 'Forever', their fan base has been as huge as it has been enthusiastic. Add to that a triumphant summer on the festival scene and you've got more hype than most bands could handle. In light of said hype, HAIM's label Polydor reacted and threw all they could at the band in the form of high-end producers and all the studio magic they could muster. By the time Haim released their summer single, 'The Wire', their previously raw and unembellished sound had transformed into a Shania Twain song, which left fans understandably scratching their heads. Luckily, these incredibly talented ladies can seemingly make anything sound good, and the country-pop-rock hybrid managed to impress critics and listeners alike. 

In 'Days Are Gone', HAIM have been systematically tidied up by their label. Their original mix of rock and 90's R&B has been watered down, replaced by thundering drums and magnificent 80's flourishes. The NME called 'Running If You Call My Name' 'totally Phil Collins', meanwhile 'If I Could Change Your Mind' has apparently borrowed synths from a Whitney Houston track. This debut has it all; 'Go Slow' is the perfect ballad while 'My Song 5' is reminiscent of their earlier, angrier tracks. 'Days Are Gone' sounds like a refreshing break-up album that is more about finding yourself again, rather than finding love again. Full to the brim of precocious guitar riffs, breathy vocals and endlessly memorable lyrics, this is an album that was definitely worth the wait.