Haim Is the Sister Group You'll Be Listening to All Fall

Culture

For those of us who swooned over last year's EP Forever, and the single "Don't Save Me," the other suede ankle bootie has dropped: Monday marks the release of Haim's full-length debut album, Days Are Gone

Haim is composed of three sisters — Este Haim, 27; Danielle Haim, 24; and Alana Haim, 21 — and the band's songs are as stylistically unified as its members. Irresistibly danceable, and mildly moody but ultimately chill, Don't Save Me's seamless sparkle is a result of shared aesthetics, well-blended influences (Este has a degree in ethnomusicology), and pristine sound production. Listening to Haim is like walking into an 80s-themed party thrown by 90s kids who actually know what the 80s were about, but realize they can do it better. Handclaps, hi-hats, and synthesizers are just flourishes atop the waves of the bass, reverb, and throbbing percussion that give Haim's songs their momentum. Despite an apparent breakup theme, the lyrics of Days Are Gone are more flippant afterthoughts than deep revelations. Feathered, repetitive choruses of staccato vocal harmonies deliver lines like, "I don't love you just because / Love wasn't what I thought it once was / But I thought it once was." If the album seems overconfident, it's only because the sisters have been playing together since their teens. Or maybe it's because they're just so SoCal. Whatever the reason, Haim has enough poise and swagger to handle the hype. And if you're still not convinced, they're on top of their covers, too.