To be transparent, I’m a fan of HAIM, albeit a late-arriving one. I heard “Summer Girl” during the height of the pandemic, and it became a comfort song for me. HAIM’s Women In Music III and The Killers’ Imploding The Mirage played consistently in my headphones and offered a welcome escape. HAIM make excellent escapist music. Their lyrics and albums tell stories with layered vocals and adept musicianship. I Quit is no exception to the storytelling pattern. It’s one that took me some time to hear, and it was worth my patience. A patience that is probably lacking in the days of algorithms that serve up singles like fast-food French fries.
Constraints are a funny thing; they force adaptation and thus creativity, and feel stifling at the same time. I Quit is a celebration of freedom from constraints. Despite splitting from producing partner Ariel Rechtshaid, HAIM has once again teamed up with Rostam Batmanglij (of Vampire Weekend), embracing a somewhat retro aesthetic. To my ears, I’m picking up influences from Aretha Franklin to Sheryl Crow. Being a selfish fan, I was probably expecting something from HAIM similar to their previous efforts. I’m glad they decided to take things in a different direction, rather than feeling constrained by fan expectations or successful formulas. Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube seem to be dominated by disposable singles who all ape the latest trends.
I feel rewarded by HAIM for making the effort to give I Quit multiple listens and to drop my restraining expectations.
“Gone” is the opening track and the one that first helped me notice the new musical direction the band is heading. There are longer guitar solos and nods to their musical influences. It isn’t my favorite track, but it is a good representation of the album as a whole and a good lead-off track for that reason.
However, “Relationships” is probably my favorite track. The song is a plaintive tale of a one-sided relationship featuring a layering of samples and phenomenal bass work by Este Haim (my favorite sister) that drew me in. Daniel is preaching while giving herself relationship advice. It’s a groovy track with contrasting upbeat music and a frustrated, fed-up performance.
“Down To Be Wrong” has elements of a mid-’90s Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers song, replete with tempo changes and bright acoustic guitar.
There’s nice vocal layering and a deep sound field. Hifi system owners will really enjoy the quality of this recording.
If this track is an audiophile dream, “Lucky Star” is for the lo-fi enthusiast. Fuzzy vocals and guitars play over dreamy synths. It’s a laid-back song you can just vibe out to on your drive home. It doesn’t sound like anything else on the album, and I consider that a good thing as it reinforces Haim’s new direction and willingness to experiment.
“Everybody’s Trying To Figure Me Out” features longer instrumental spaces that let the song breathe between verses. It’s a nice showcase of the sisters’ talents and features the vocal layering prevalent in the album. The lyrics are defiant and a statement against labels, which fits the mold-breaking theme of I Quit.
Admittedly, I was disappointed with I Quit on my first listen. I had a hard time reconciling my expectations with what I heard.
It took another focused listening session to set aside my bias and appreciate the new musical direction HAIM are going. I think there’s enough of what makes the band unique that fans will appreciate the album while enjoying the new textures HAIM are experimenting with.
To be honest, I wish more artists would explore these new spaces. It’s a risk to be certain. However, music has become such a commodity that it’s like we’re getting a recycling of the same songs every month, at least in the mainstream. HAIM offer mainstream accessibility with a slate of songs that will challenge most listeners. Take a chance on I quit. It will help you break out of your musical rut.
I Quit is available now at haimofficial.com