Music Review: Haim – 鈥楽omething to Tell You鈥�
鈥淪omething to Tell You鈥� is the much-anticipated new release from Haim. While the band鈥檚 2013 debut 鈥淒ays Are Gone鈥� garnered the San Fernando Valley sisters international recognition with New Musical Express (NME) magazine naming them the Best International Band in 2014, the talented trio鈥檚 sophomore effort rings of a confident maturity with a satisfying set of radio-friendly tracks that whisper soft rock through and through.
鈥淪omethings are long forgotten,鈥� sings Danielle Haim on the opening track 鈥淲ant You Back鈥� with a fresh, infectious tone that recalls the better moments of early Wilson Phillips.
Listening to Haim鈥檚 new material evokes fond memories of another all-female group from California that captured my attention during my high school years.
The Go-Go鈥檚 offered up melodious slices of pop heaven with tracks like 鈥淥ur Lips Are Sealed,鈥� 鈥淲e Got the Beat,鈥� 鈥淰acation鈥� and 鈥淗ead Over Heels.鈥� To this day, my buddies have no idea how much play the band鈥檚 cassettes received during my drives back and forth from school when I viewed lead singer Belinda Carlisle as one of the alluring girls on the beach that Brian Wilson wrote about.
Fueled by Danielle鈥檚 passionate vocals that describe a crumbling relationship and Alana鈥檚 spirited guitar riffs, the Haim sisters find their groove with 鈥淣othing鈥檚 Wrong.鈥�
The mood quickly turns from sad and uncertain to bouncy and hopeful with the flirty tone of 鈥淟ittle of Your Love,鈥� while 鈥淲alking Away鈥� is a sophisticated dose of R&B.
鈥淔ound It in Silence鈥� soars with an empowering message of being confident in knowing what you want and going out and getting it.
鈥淩eady for You,鈥� 鈥淵ou Never Knew, 鈥� 鈥淜ept Me Crying鈥� and the title track serve as a delightful guilty pleasure for lovers of lite rock everywhere.
鈥淣ight So Long鈥� closes the set with lyrics about the isolation and loneliness of life on the road as Danielle declares, 鈥淚 say goodbye to love again/In loneliness my only friend.鈥�
With their latest album, the Haim sisters prove that they certainly do have something to tell us as the band鈥檚 style and substance seamlessly combine to produce a pleasurable summer soundtrack.