The rockin’ sisters from California deserve a slot on your Spotify playlist.
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LISTEN, PLAYBACK, REPEAT: Picture it: NYC, Saturday Night Live, November 23, 2013. I hadn’t heard of HAIM before that night, but with their big network debut, they instantly become one of my favorite bands. The sister act trio played two songs from their first album, Days Are Gone—couldn’t-get-them-out-of-my-head singles ‘The Wire’ and ‘Don’t Save Me’—and I was sold on their California cool vibe, sound and aesthetic. Besides, they were giving me edgy, lady-style musically inclined sibling realness that put the Jonas Brothers to shame. Done and done.
After four long years waiting for new jams from the fab women of the West Coast—who snagged a coveted Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in the interim—they finally released their sophomore album, Something To Tell You, in July. The sisters took to a familiar stage to debut the first two singles from the album this spring on—you guessed it—SNL, where they were the musical guest on the Emmy-winning May 13th episode hosted by Melissa McCarthy. Hooked again, party of one.
FOR THE RECORD: While the whole album is dope and delivers on the exceptional promise of the band’s inaugural outing, one of two tunes HAIM played on SNL is still in heavy rotation on my Spotify. The simple, lyrical storytelling about love and loss coupled with a cutting beat has made ‘Want You Back’ a single worth singing along to. And oh, do I. Just ask my neighbors.
THE FINAL SPIN: It boggles my mind that HAIM hasn’t broken through in a bigger way, either on the Billboard charts or in the wider music culture. With a fresh sound that has a beat anyone can groove to, if you’re looking for a fun listen to escape the insanity of the world, download a little bit of HAIM. Your day will be better for it.
Check out the video for ‘I Want You Back’ below.