HAIM – Something To Tell You
In anticipation of HAIM’s debut album, When Days Are Gone, they released three singles. By the time the album released in the fall of 2013, HAIM was receiving many positive vibes and lots of hype. Neither traditional pop girl group nor riot grrrls, HAIM were more the second coming of Lindsay Buckingham era Fleetwood Mac. That is, quality pop with a brain.
I gave the singles and When Days Are Gone album attentive listens at the time, but they never connected with me. However, Something To Tell You has connected. I am not sure why, it is the same basic formula. Part of it is that I saw HAIM live at Lollapalooza in the summer of 2016. Their live show was delightful. I loved their combination of pure energy, irreverence, mischief and complete lack of taking themselves seriously – it was simply a fun performance. Perhaps this album resonates with me because Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) produced some of it.
Something To Tell You is a pop masterpiece. It is roll down the windows and cruise summertime pop. It has great hooks and songs you want sing along to. It sounds instantly familiar, yet it is original. Most of all it rocks (an intangible feature that cannot be described – either something does or does not).
If you like late 70s Fleetwood Mac, you are going to like this. If you like the exuberant fun of The Go-Go’s, you will dig this. If you do not like earworms, avoid this album.
