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Jul 07, 2017 Web Exclusive By Laura Stanley

The differences between HAIM‘s debut record Days Are Gone—released four years ago—and Something to Tell You are subtle. The band’s sophomore album is driven by the same staccato vocal delivery and percussion and quick guitar riffs that electrified their debut. Underneath this, however, you can hear Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim beginning to stretch out and play with new sounds.

“Right Now”—mostly comprised of an electronic beat and a basic keyboard melody—is confidently simple while the energetic “Found It in Silence” is charged by a string section which is an unfamiliar sonic choice for HAIM. Elsewhere the band’s experimentations falter: “Kept Me Crying” starts off with a nice buzz but gets clouded by too much vocal distortion and the album closer “Night So Long” is a wispy and melancholic number with heavy reverb that makes lines like “I say goodbye to love again and loneliness my only friend,” come off as trite.

Carried forward from Days Are Gone is HAIM’s ability to create buoyant pop hooks. “Little of Your Love” has a simplistic but unshakeable chorus as does “Want You Back” and “Nothing’s Wrong.” On all three tracks, Danielle-whose voice has gotten stronger since the band’s debut-moves from coy to bold, employing whichever attitude is needed with a quickly delivered line or emphasized word. “Tell me nothing’s wrong,” she dares on “Nothing’s Wrong.” “All that time is gone, no more fear and control,” she releases in “Want You Back.”

In all, HAIM continue to craft engaging pop music. When they have something to tell you, you listen. (www.haimtheband.com)

Author rating: 7/10