Despite their laid-back, girls-next-door qualities, HAIM are a band much-needed by the music industry today. The number of all-female bands is still infinitesimally small compared to their male counterparts, with new bands such as Warpaint and HAIM very much the minority. It is in this way that the high quality of HAIM’s debut album, Days Are Gone, goes a long way to proving that girls really can play guitar.
In some ways the album feels very much influenced by the classic and ‘80s rock of the past, as if the three sisters invented their sound while cruising through their dad’s old record collections, but it is this which makes them all the more endearing. Songs such as ‘Don’t Save Me’ and ‘The Wire’ are purely joyous songs, with the girls’ passion for creating music shining through.
Clear-cut vocals and well thought-out melodies are consistent throughout, proving that the band are not merely one-hit wonders. The final song on the record, ‘Running If You Call My Name’ is an excellent end to an excellent album, with its heartfelt and catchy riffs. ‘Days Are Gone’ may not be ground-breaking technically, but it will surely get people talking and raving about these three sisters from LA.