Days Are Gone has been an
eagerly anticipated release since their first single, Forever, was
released here in the UK. Since that, the trio have gone from strength
to strength and won various titles including the BBC's prestigious
'Sound of 2013' winner. Now that they have a lot of the industry
behind them and a secure fan-base of all ages, this album was always
going to be big.
It's the newer material like
Honey & I as well as Days Are Gone that make it all a lot more
interesting. Playing with their sound and vocally changing their
style, HAIM have managed to put together music that we can indulge in
and find new pieces of the song the more we listen. They sound simple
on the first listen but after you understand the rich texture that
layers it all, it's incredibly easy to realise what lays underneath.
Bringing sweet synthesisers and small, but very effective, guitar
loops in to the equation with some very original vocals; the sisters
manage to make a record that definitely hasn't been heard before. All
of the new songs, as well as the old, have an edge about them making
old songs like Go Slow a lot more different to the original version
we heard on the Forever EP at the beginning of their career. Each
track builds upon the previous one but sets you up for the next, it's
like a team who are ready to big each other up – it works!
In saying all this, it does
feel like one or two tracks have been paid less attention to than
others. It may be because I haven't fully understood them yet or just
don't warm to them as much as others but Song 5 seems to be something
that is not suppose to be on the album. It has a big sound and is
quite good but it sticks out like a sore thumb, changing the
direction of the album a hell of a lot and then swapping straight
back once it gets to the end. Maybe the girls wanted to shake it up
and keep people on their feet, or in this case listening. One thing
it does show is that Danielle's voice does work with a lot of styles
and genres, allowing the band to experiment with many different
situations and see what really does work best for their ability.
Everything then picks up as we're directed to Let Me Go; an epic song
of drum battles, vocal tricks from Danielle and Este plus memorable
lyrics that have you singing a long every time you hear it. There was
no better way than to kick off the beginning of the end with this
track, it leads the way for the final song – Running If You Call My
Name. It's a memorable finish that celebrates just how fast their
career has progressed and how successful they have become. They're
still grounded but they're making the best music they can and that's
all we need.
Days Are Gone is a showcase
of HAIM's talent, an impeccable mix of genres and multiple skills
colliding together to make one of the best Pop-Rock records in a
while. It holds anthems, chill out tracks and so much more. I doubt
this is going to disappoint fans, it's only going to gain some more.
Listen to it carefully and you will hear everything they wanted you
to.
Out of 10: 8/10
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