Haim – ‘I Quit’ album review: the leap that will define the future path of rock
THE SKINNY: “Can I have your attention, please?” Haim sing as the very opening line to their latest album, I Quit. It certainly does turn heads, not just because it’s the first time the sisters have released their own music in half a decade, but because this genuinely feels like the next leap forward in the entirety of contemporary rock music. Alana, Danielle, and Este Haim have always been forces to reckon with, but this record proves they’re a whole firestorm.
Don’t interpret this the wrong way – the album is not completely Haim as you’ve never heard them before. There’s enough familiar pop-rock sonics to keep loyal fans happy and equally be palatable to the masses, but there’s also an edge of genre-spanning variety that makes I Quit a delectable smorgasbord of musical delights, from R&B to country to the finest hint of grunge in its midst. As a whole, the record feels incredibly sure-footed while also venturing into unfettered ground.
Indeed, without attempting to sound too trite, it’s the exact type of album that would translate well to performances at summer festivals – and, ahem, Glastonbury. As rumours reach fever pitch that Haim are set to take to the Pyramid Stage at Worthy Farm under the moniker of Patchwork, that pseudonym seems to hold a lot more resonance in the context of everything the record harbours. It’s a patchwork of genre and sound, but in the end, it all knits together in one harmonic weave of crowd-pleasing, but equally intriguing, tunes.
Its already released lead singles, including ‘Relationships’ and ‘Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out’, offer a keen idea of this, but diving deep into I Quit’s span of 15 tracks reveals a highly intricate web of well-thought-out sonics that always feel rich but never overbearing. What Haim have potentially fallen victim to in the past is either trying to make themselves too mainstream, or cosying into the comfort blanket of their comparison to artists like Fleetwood Mac too much.
Instead, I Quit seems to throw these preconditions out the window as a true demonstration of what the past five years of relative sonic silence has taught them. It feels infinitely more individual and more well-considered as a result, making the album the new blueprint of the purpose Haim serve in the current rock landscape, now and in the future. Dare I say it, could they be the spark to reignite the dominance of bands? I Quit certainly makes me hopeful.
For fans of: Finding a future in rock music. ‘Well done, Sherlock,’ you might say, but it seems difficult to imagine anyone invested in the genre not finding something to enjoy here.
A concluding comment from Haim’s past selves: “Hallelujah!”
I Quit track by track:
Release date: June 20th | Producers: Danielle Haim, Rostam Batmanglij, and Buddy Ross | Label: Columbia/Polydor
‘Gone’: We’re straight out of the gate with a massive hitter here, and arguably one of the best tracks on an already very strong album. Visceral intimacy explodes into full-blown stadium rock – and with a sample of George Michael’s ‘Freedom’ thrown in for good measure, it’ll have you singing from the rooftops. I’d give it six out of five if I could. [5/5]
‘All Over Me’: The album lands back to Earth with a tune that sounds very much like a Haim staple – acoustic but with a powerful pop palatability not dissimilar to their previous standout singles like ‘Gasoline’. It’s peppy without being overpowering, and introduces some of the biggest arching homages to country music that the record offers. [4/5]
‘Relationships’: Lead single ‘Relationships’ started turning heads from the minute it was released back in March this year, honouring a sound of 1990s R&B long thought to be lost to the graveyards of time, but reinvented with a whole new Haim charm. It may sound like nothing else on the album, but that’s not a bad thing. [4.5/5]
‘Down to be Wrong’: The second of the quartet of lead singles is by no means a weak tune, but it’s something that the band does on the tin and doesn’t offer anything wholly new in respect of both their previous discography and current album, it finds itself in. [3/5]
‘Take Me Back’: By comparison, ‘Take Me Back’ – yet another released single – is a total tonic. It’s road trip perfection, bursting with sun-drenched sonics, coupled with introspective lyrics about hedonism and flying too close to the sun. In a perverted way, although Stevie Nicks always says she wishes Haim were in Fleetwood Mac, this is a song I’d love to hear her sing. [5/5]
‘Love You Right’: This is where the height of the overarching theme of acoustic country sonics comes into full swing. Haim are rightly celebrated as talented individual instrumentalists, but what also deserves acknowledgement is their harmony as a band, demonstrated in all its glory here. [4/5]
‘The Farm’: If you weren’t already convinced this album is influenced by country rock, ‘The Farm’ quite literally physically manhandles you there. It’s got all the makings of a complete stereotype – a lyrical reflection on the roads not taken as well as the paths to come, sung on a warm evening, sitting around the campfire. Get the marshmallows toasting. [3.5/5]
‘Lucky Stars’: With a little reminiscent whisper to grunge and alternative sonics of yesteryear, this song wouldn’t feel out of place in the company of the likes of Nirvana or Mazzy Star. There’s a dichotomy between deep-seated riffs and aspirate vocals that makes it particularly beguiling. [4.5/5]
‘Million Years’: It feels like every album produced by women in the past year has some sort of song that could be classed as a distant cousin to Charli XCX’s Brat. This is Haim’s – not so much in lyrics, but in a sound of racing power pop that’s simultaneously wispy but also palpating, if ever there is such a thing. [4/5]
‘Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out’: There’s a brewing edge of anger here that you don’t often hear from Haim, reckoning with the politics of identity and perception. It’s another string to their bow, and although not my favourite song on the album due to the strength of certain other tunes, it’s certainly an interesting, fresh sonic narrative. [3.5/5]
‘Try to Feel My Pain’: A soft synth-style riff sets this track apace without ever seeming too overbearing. There’s an infusion of certain funk and jazz sonics along the way, which presents something new on the musical menu of the album, and while this could threaten to be overwhelming, it’s soothing enough to just sweep you up on the ride. [4/5]
‘Spinning’: A little offering of electronica, anyone? That said, any place this is played in must be the most chill club of all time, combining a fun dance beat with some light, ethereal vocals that do, indeed, make you feel like the room is spinning a little in tipsiness. [3.75/5]
‘Cry’: It’s time for the big piano ballad. But, of course, this is Haim, so it’s a ballad on their terms. As such, although there’s a similarly pacy beat to some of I Quit’s other songs, there’s a deep-rooted soulfulness and sincerity which bleeds from its heart. Haim can do fun rock songs, sure, but they are searingly truthful too. [4.5/5]
‘Blood on the Street’: I have kept coming back to the country comparison throughout, but this truly feels like a classic established marker of the genre that could be taken on by Stevie Nicks, Brandi Carlile or anyone who has years more experience under their belt. That’s not meant as an insult to Haim – in fact, the opposite – but where they have tried to shrug off analogies of being the next big thing in the past, they’ve now proved they have arrived and are here to stay. [5/5]
‘Now It’s Time’: Listen, I’m a sucker for a full-circle narrative, and with a sound like we’ve returned back to the state of ‘Gone’, the album rounds out on the perfect note. Electric riffs are contrasted with sparkling piano, and in this sense, there’s a magical allure that reels you right in before sending you off to the stars. [5/5]
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