Los Angeles trio of sisters Haim have made waves recently for their infectious, fun take on power pop. Taking elements of ’70s rock, ’80s synth pop, and ’90s R&B, Haim have crafted a cohesive sound that aims big. The trio — Danielle (guitar/lead vocals), Este (bass/vocals), and Alana (guitar/keys) — were so successful at 2012’s SXSW festival that Columbia signed them nearly on-site. They garnered further love after opening for bigger acts like Edward Sharpe and Ke$ha and releasing an EP, Forever, later that year (with the title track appearing on Jonk Music’s Summer Jams ’12 mixtape).
Days Are Gone. The new single off the record, produced by Ariel Rechstaid of Vampire Weekend/Usher fame, is a breezy one called “The Wire.” The track starts with a ’70s-indebbted, SoCal-tempered verse that leads to nothing less than an arena-ready chorus, the type of slam-dunk chorus that sells Beyoncé’s records.
In reality, “The Wire” is more or less a paramount example of what makes these girls stand out – Haim can take the easygoing, comforting sounds of your parents’ record collection (Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, etc.) and filter them through an undeniably contemporary, catchy lens. The result sounds like it could exist in no year but 2013.
Danielle, Este, and Alana are poised to top charts with Days Are Gone, out on September 30 via Columbia/Polydor.