GutterPutter

For a start, HAIM is an American rock band from California who are made up of three sisters. They are Este Haim, the eldest who takes on both the bass and the backing vocals; Daniele the middle child who is the guitarist, studio drummer and lead vocalist; and Alana, another guitarist who is also in charge of the keyboards. They straddle the line between indie pop and soft rock since their breakthrough from their 2013 debut Days Are Gone and it’s in 2020 when they finally crack their way through to the spotlight with Women in Music Pt. III. They might not match the hype that the likes of Last Dinner Party or Wet Leg from across the sea, but they do at least have amassed a sizable following.

I quit is the trio’s fourth studio album after five years’ worth of wait from the final nail to their ascension. Contrary to its title, it’s not so much a deviation away from the stylistic norm, let alone a finale, as it is the beginning of a renewal. It’s the more “urban” kind of effort in that the band distance themselves away from their soft rock roots and instead opt to go for straight-on indie rocking. They are no longer a contemporary to Lana Del Ray specifically so much as they are a contemporary to Alvvays. In other words, their album feels like it’s set out to try and aim for the glory of being the standard when it comes to conventional types of rock music. And while it might not have aced the landing, it does have enough shine to prove that it’s a worthwhile listen in its 15-track list.

The biggest strength, first and foremost, is the eclecticness in both the instrumentation and the genre that the album runs on as a whole. The bits of diversity would usually run the risk of damaging the cohesion/identity of the album but I quit using it in a way to direct the mood for several tracks. To start that off, three of the more romantic tracks in ‘Relationships’, ‘Love you right’, and ‘All over me’ has a certain bit of electronic tinge, at least a boost in mixing shine, that blends with the more R&B-like inflection that would remind one of TLC. Cheesy as it is, the way that it works with the slower tempo and the vocal harmonies from all three members adds to the lovey-dovey impression. These effects create a twee feeling without the amateurishness and the naivety that births twee pop in other words and it’s this impression that makes the album a bit more lively.

I quit’s flexibility also manifests itself through the alternating key influences in each track. ‘Take me back’ for instance takes the form of a ramshackle slacker rock that would immediately draw to mind Horsegirl. Yet, the twinkly keyboard notes would also beckon a certain Rilo Kiley’s ‘The Execution Of All Things’. This however does swap considerably with a full-on country cut in ‘The farm’ where the acoustic guitar and banjo works in tandem to create an illusory feeling that all is well – even if the focus is on the feeling of being lost. To further contrast that even more, ‘Gone’ is the introduction that contains simple rhythmic strums in the beginning, a gospel-like chant of “freedom” for the chorus, and the improvisational flow of the lead guitar playing that is similar to Jack Black’s usual style. The diversity as a whole serves to be the band’s biggest strength on the album in how they fit with the theme of each track. And it could also be at times a hindrance when the lows creep up.

Note that up to now, I haven’t talked much about the lyricism of the album in full. While the suitability of the instrumentals in guiding the atmosphere is applaudable, it doesn’t completely conceal how the wordings didn’t carry the weight in the same way. It’s a pretty imbalanced kind of dynamic which risks making the listen come off as being on the surface layer. ‘Down to be wrong’ goes for a more heightened emphasis on the drum set and Daniele’s singing is on a deeper register, verging on sultry even. The lyrics there, on the other hand, consist of listing a sense of independence and being away from an ex without a strong sense of flair. “I ain’t coming back / I ain’t coming down / I was so high last night / I thought, “Burn it to the ground”” are such lyrics that lack the visual evocation to make you buy into it. The inferred narrative is too vague to be fitted into a stream-of-conscious interpretation. It hurts as a result that this flaw is at its most apparent as well in ‘Blood on the street’ which features Alana and Este singing as well and ‘Spinning’ where the synths make for a more faux-Disco outtake than it does an ordinary love song. 

And for the instrumentals, it doesn’t always land as strongly in some of the tracks despite how wide in range they are relative to other pop rock bands. ‘Million years’ is overt in its use of more electronic-like production for its percussion and while it might add to the romantic ambience, it feels as if it doesn’t go far enough in its thematic use of space. I would think comparatively that Spiritualized’s ‘Ladies and Gentlemen We are Floating in Space’ is much more effective in its otherworldly interpretation of being in love through its sparse build-up of each of its instrumentation and how it adds to the chorus. Other tracks on the album like ‘Try to feel pain’ or ‘Now it’s time’ sought to be empowering mainly through the guitar riff although the petal effects does help to substitute for the bassline. They are unable to work largely because it feels as if the intent of the performance there feels too “on-the-nose”; anyone who has listened to Alanis Morissette would chalk it up as being cliche.

I quit does still have its bits of highlights that are worth fawning over. I might not find the album to be entirely original, but HAIM is a band that has shown that they are no strangers to pulling out some bangers even if they are inconsistent in maintaining it throughout an entire tracklist. ‘Everyone’s Trying to figure me out’ has a hard-edged angst over anxiety attacks with its slow and steady acoustic notes and a phased-out chorus that puts you into the shoes of someone who is paranoid of the gossiping behind their back. ‘Lucky star’ contains a rhythmic kind of drumming that is alike to baggy and a clear use of vocal reverb that is ethereal enough to take you to the stars. The last shoutout goes to ‘Cry’ which contains a more stringed instrumentation and a more angelic harmony from the trio over the attempt to handle your feelings. What should have been a sore thumb of an outlier instead stands as a much-embraced left-turn that you wish to find more often from the band in the future.

I quit is an otherwise solid effort that doesn’t break ground nor does it make new ones. Rather, it paves on familiar territories. Does it make the album special as a whole? Not really as the lyrical effort feels too simplistic and its technicality over the instruments fall on recognisability a tad bit too easily. It is however an ultimately good listen as while there are only a handful of tracks that you could say has truly stuck out, all of them are mixed at a good enough level for a nice session. Combine that with how varying genre influences were utilised in each track to its advantage and I quit could at least be pulled upward to the more respectable mentions for pop rock albums. It might not be a complete classic nor does it have a strong grasp at one style like with Horsegirl. However, it’s a pleasurable enough experience that fans of the band would be able to use some of it to persuade others to check them out. Suffice to say, it’s not hard to know why that is for sure.

3.7/5