Haim’s second album Something To Tell You is sadly lacklustre and lifeless [Review]
There was a lot to love about their debut album – but Haim’s follow-up fails to impress
Debut album Days Are Gone proved to be a commercial success, showcasing Haim’s knack for catchy pop-rock songs, whilst capturing the personalities of the three sisters. Four years on, and their follow-up Something To Tell You shows the band throwing all that charisma under the bus, and churning out lifeless, repetitive tunes time and time again.
From the echoed drum hits of opening track Want You Back, it’s evident there’s an 80’s power-pop influence. And it doesn’t let up. The chorus is pop-led, and catchy, but it becomes overused so quickly that it becomes more of an annoyance which you can’t escape.
Nothing’s Wrong infuses 70’s pop rock, with singer Danielle doing her best imitation of Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks, while instrumentally remaining firmly in the faux 80’s realm. On paper, it sounds intriguing, but it’s nothing more than bland, with a cliché fade-out.
Meanwhile, Little Of Your Love just doesn’t work. Again, the same ideas, but with chicken-pickin’ country guitar thrown on top, completely masking what could be a pleasant pop track.
And from hereon, it could all be one long song. At times, the band make Shura sound like an otherworldly, experimental artist, and at others, shamelessly try to emulate retro megastars Wham – see Ready For You and You Never Knew.
Many melodies are instantly memorable. But when you hear lyrics such as “Maybe I was trying to forget all my crazy reactions over my ex”, it’s clear that every aspect of this album is as vague and empty as the last.
Edited by Ginny Wong