When Haim debuted with their hit album Days Are Gone, it was hard not to be a fan; the sisters' throwback pop-rock made for brilliant summer listening, and they put on one hell of a good live show. Four years on, they've returned with Something to Tell You; a solid sophomore effort that ultimately falls short of the cool genius found in Days Are Gone.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, lead singer Danielle Haim said the trio were less focused on "studio f***ery" and more interested in "sturdy songcraft" this time - which is certainly evident here. But the same paragraph says that the album is still "full of ear candy", and this is what lets it down. In structure, opening track Want You Back is a fantastic return to form, with Danielle's sharp delivery wrapping irresistibly around the chorus' main hook; but it's held back by an unnecessary lathering of synth bursts and pitch-shifted vocals.
The tracks that follow employ the same techniques, frustratingly clouding the trio's brilliant songwriting over and over. Nothing's Wrong echoes the thrilling sprint of Days Are Gone's title track, with a glorious Fleetwood Mac-esque guitar riff and a thigh-clapping beat - but it's swerved off course by a mid-song silence and more distorted vocals.
That's not to say it all doesn't work; rather, when it does work, it's excellent. Walking Away is an ambient R'n'B dream that echoes the best of TLC, with the sisters' vocals harmonising beautifully alongside a joyous slap bass. There's even a certified pop banger in Little of Your Love, a summery jam that was commissioned for (and eventually dropped from) Amy Schumer's film Trainwreck.
