REVIEW: HAIM - WOMEN IN MUSIC PT. III (EXPANDED EDITION)

5/5

All Hail Haim.

'Summer Girl' your 'Women In Music' are back for Part III (or the awesomely abbreviated 'WIMPIII') like a child of destiny. A calendar after that iconic saxophone stalked the Hollywood Boulevard streets of Los Angeles to the "do, da, do, do, do's" that 'Walk On The Wild Side' with Lou Reed as hauntingly as the heartbreaking fact that Lana Del Rey (she has a new, last year, 'Norman F###### Rockwell' following album coming out this Summer too girl. Like this following the roots return of both Norah Jones' 'Pick Me Up Off The Floor' last week and Lady Gaga's pure pop art of 'Chromatica' last month) too late flew on a red eye to record 'Brooklyn Baby' with Lou Reed the night the late legend passed away. Which makes the almost identical, impersonating backing vocals of the said Black Keys produced track even more haunting now. Now if you thought that and the change clothes, hot in here video directed by family friend and 'Punch Drunk Love's' Paul Thomas Anderson was iconic than check this phantom thread out my magnolia's.  Just like the studio stripped down 'Valentine' special of 'Right Now', 'Nothing's Wrong' and 'Something To Tell You' off the album of the same name from 'The Master' director that shows the power of these women who can all chop and change (like their live show equal stage holding. Or even the in sync NPR 'Tiny Desk (Home) Concert', perfectly in time, quarantined in other houses...let alone living rooms like 'Forever') and play even more instruments than the men that got paid ten times as much as them on what should have been an equal billing festival bill, right now, right now. Just wait until you hear the rest or this anticipated album of the year a year and change after Maggie Rogers', 'Heard It In A Past Life' classic became 2019's right in January, despite King Princess and her 'Cheap Queen' fall challenge for a generation of girl power. One for these Spice Girls Stans that was already a California classic like every leaf brown when we first heard that horn for your grey skies my mamas and papas. The sax hasn't sounded this sexy since Michael Hutchence told us they could 'Never Tear Us Apart' with INXS in Prague. Six pre-release diverse and definitive tracks (on an album so good half of them now are as a bonus) have sealed this fate and P.T.A. has directed a fantastic four of these videos as Haim and the 'There Will Be Blood' director drink your milkshake (now look out for that Easter Egg movie buffs). Complete with that confident and knowing look from Danielle breaking all kinds of walls. At the car wash there was the waitress to black dress costume change, shades, pink telephone and stretcher faint recovery of the lonely club hopping and bed generations, 'Now I'm In It'. A clever camera trick 'Hallelujah' rope pulled you in, sitting in the air sans chair as hauntingly beautiful as Buckley. One that pointed to putting these Valley girls names in bright lights for this cinematic curtain call. But the sisterhood of Haim weren't done like, "three hearts, one mind" and returned with Mr. Anderson for this music matrix with 'The Steps' of an angsty blood and lipstick drum roll that pre-COVID spat toothpaste and the bitter taste of a toxic ex at the bathroom mirror. But then like crawling all over their bathroom sink, after throwing everything at this record including the kitchen one, COVID-19 happened to a heartbreaking 2020 that should have been roaring again like Gatsby, but instead was tragic like Kobe and GiGi and what's happening right now as we tweet and take to the street about how Black Lives Matter. But still even quarantined in concert and lockdown dance lessons, corona couldn't even stop these sisters as they offer Zoom classes in learning the steps of their greatest hits. Which even has this writer in the Far East of Japan dancing in his loving room at 4 in the morning in unison and wondering why he's still single. The first being their social isolation anthem 'I Know Alone' (actually wrote before the pandemic but perfectly placed now like Norah Jones' 'Pick Me Up' Target bonus bullseye, 'Tryin' To Keep It Together') and its brilliant and creative 'Don't Save Me' like Basketball court video in the backyard backed at a ballplayer six feet apart distance. Head in hands, almost homaging P.T.A's 'Anima' underground musical film with Radiohead's Thom Yorke. Bored scrolling through phones like a zombified treadmill, before the pace picks up perfectly. And how about the bass for your face latest of the pure pop of 'Don't Wanna' from a big three as versatile and therefore criminally underrated as multiple bandsman across town, Ben Harper? Danielle believes if they didn't dance they would maybe get more respect from their male peers. I say f### all that. Their instrumental and iconic whilst those hating instead of BTS STANdoming are has beens already anyway. And whilst we're at it you can save it and face with those Este (like the Brits, call me?) memes and jokes. Anyone that puts that much muscular devotion into their instrument and sound because they love it so feels music much more than anyone taking it lightly does. Besides those people could probably never make anyone make that kind of face anyway if they really want to get that crass (does that answer your question misogynistic 'Man From The Magazine' for a track as making a point good as Lenny Kravitz's 'Mr. Cab Driver'?). Not that it's about that. Besides it actually looks as cool as f###. Forever in love with the faces she makes. "We've both woke up in strangers beds", Danielle Haim sings on the relationship on a rocks with a twist song as all sorts of loneliness is delved into on this album for the summertime sadness record. From quarantining, to finally coming back out at night like a once 'Mellon Collie' with the 'Infinite Sadness' Smashing Pumpkin for another shot. We're in it now. 

Order up like the "now serving 69", tongue in all sorts of cheeks, iconic Anderson delicatessen album artwork that almost turned into a tour of delis like Katz before COVID that's now going to go virtual. We haven't seen this many pre-album single hits like this for years. 'Falling', 'Forever', 'The Wire', 'Don't Save Me', 'My Song 5', 'Go Slow', 'Let Me Go', 'Running If You Call My Name' and the album-titled, 'Days Are Gone'. 'Want You Back', 'Nothing's Wrong', 'Little Of Your Love', 'Found It In Silence', 'Walking Away', 'Right Now', 'Night So Long' and the album-titled 'Something To Tell You' (look let's be real. We wanted to name all tracks off both albums. Whose setting off these fireworks with all these bangers?). 'Pray To God' like Calvin Harris for a Shania Twain cover that does impress us much, Haim's albums bring a powerhouse of perfect playlist picks longer than Paul Thomas Anderson's straw. But nothing drinks quite like this that will bring everyone to the yard or the Hollywood bowl and California desert once that and Cochella opens back up like don't dance so close to me. With L.A. on her mind and an LGBT cinema cap on Danielle sings, "Peer around the corner at you/From over my shoulder I need you/I need you to understand/These are the earthquake drills that we ran/Under the freeway overpasses/The tears behind your dark sunglasses/The fears inside your heart as deep as gashes/You walk beside me, not behind me/Feel my unconditional love," on the scorching 'Summer Girl'. Before going through the car wash of Saturday night to Sunday morning cleansing and singing, "Locking all the doors to my house/I'm alone in my head/But I wish you were in my bed/Can't get a read on myself/Gotta change this situation/Something in the way that I felt when I woke up/Told me that I shouldn't give in, give up hope/Told me that I shouldn't fight what I felt/Told me I should not let go," the depression recovery solidarity that will help you find your way even if it's been a minute. Just like 'The Steps' of telling someone, "everytime I think I've been taking the steps/you get mad at me for a mess/I can't understand/why you don't understand me." The hurt meets healing on 'Hallelujah' as Alana Haim laments the loss of, "a best friend but she has come to pass/One I wish I could see now/You always remind me that memories will last/These arms reach out/You were there to protect me like a shield/Long hair running with me through the field/Everywhere you've been with me all along", as these sisters keepers harmonize about meeting an "angel but in disguise," since '95. "Why me?" But for these 'Days Are Gone' siblings, "days get slow like counting cell towers on the road" as they are no stranger to solitude like the rest of us too, as Danielle Haim from her car and full glove compartment sings, "'Cause nights turn to days/They turn to grey/Keep turning over/Some things never grow/I know alone like no one else does." That's why sometimes you end up in the "strangers bed" of the last single, 'Don't Wanna' that talks about the all too familiar feeling of, "don't know what I mean to you/dont know what to say to you". You may not get the feelings of those that left you riding solo, but this holy trinity of a heaven sent big-three will help you understand the hurt as they too like shouting all the words to the Canyon girl Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' know alone. 

HAIMsters what more could you expect from the threes most personal and prolific project yet? How can this not be a Californian classic like Best Coast and their latest greatest this year ('Always Tomorrow') when this album hip-hop drum snaring opener is called 'Los Angeles' like the Lakers, as Henry Solomon's signature 'Summer' sax returns like a reverse reprise? But caught in the smog of La La Land like a city of coughing stars it's not all Randy Newman in the City of Angels for these sisters are searching for a "miracle" like being stuck in the towns notorious gridlock as "sometimes I speed down Crescent Heights/I can hardly feel it runnin' every light". But still for these Valley sisters, "New York is cold/I tried the Winter there once (nope)". These L.A. women open the doors to even more 'Gasoline', igniting fender to bumper like the cinematic opening to Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling's said movie. And this is worthy of a great American soundtrack with bold as love, beautiful lyrics like,"we're watching the sunrise from the kitchen counter/when you lie in between my legs, it doesn't matter" (man I miss being in love). After the drill siren of an alarm wakes them 'Up From A Dream' for two back-to-back like Magic California chill tracks for your Venice boardwalk from these Queens that are still Chili Pepper hot by the way. Dreaming of Californication has never sounded so good, even zoning at '3AM'. Picking up the phone for you know what. But 'Another Try' answers the call for an album that is soaked in as much lamenting loneliness like the Hollywood city of angels when the wings turn in for night as it is sunshine amongst the stars. "You take care of us/When I make this tough/Because it takes all I got/Not to f### this up", Danielle sings on the beautifully honest 'Leaning On You'. Because records like the raw and beat served hard, 'I've Been Down' take depression head on and headstrong for these incredible young artists who have found their true selves and sound over years of compelling maturation in both style and substance for an act who have always sounded as real as it gets, yet nothing right now comes quite as close to this. 'All That Ever Mattered' is screamingly scary good, breaking into the best riff of the set. Whilst on the f##### up but true, 'FUBT' and its beautiful bass Danielle sings this lyric, "I spend my mornings overthinking all my old mistakes/But I would never judge your problems in the same way." Now have you ever heard a line that describes the anxiety of our modern day relationship with others and ourselves more plainly in an album that tells this generation of their audience that there is nothing wrong with vulnerability? No overthinking required on this one...even from a man like me. Even if the debate for the albums best riff just got amp reinvigorated. Just like the steps of what's your favourite track from these summer girls now we're in it again walking to that beat on Instagram like knowing alone. But right now at this very moment one thing has no contest. Best band alive. This is women in music wimps! After a dynamic debut and surviving and striving the sophomore slump, the third times the charm for these three. And judging from their discography catalogue it's only going to be more of a grower over time. California classic after California classic. Album of the Summer. Album of the year. Album of their career. "Now that's how you f###### do it!" Now how about an expanded edition? 

Footracing through the Forum of the parking lot that the Magic 80's Showtime Lakers used to call home like LBJ running the break, these sisters doing it for themselves filming a quarantined music video as best outside as you can get right now, 'Don't Wanna' stop. Just like the incredible drum intro to the dynamic live cut of 'Gasoline' for Jimmy Kimmel's late night as day gives way to that and Danielle's heavy hitting of the skins like 'The Steps'. "YOU TOOK ME BAAAAACK" she screams like the fans used to here with the coliseum like Forum white pillars behind her. Adding more fuel to the fire like Alana on the guitar pedal. But if that wasn't enough gas for your ass like Este winning the Forum foot race from the 'Don't Wanna' video in a classic car, then how about a remix that moves Swiftly? Taylor's version of anything always makes everything better and after Haim teamed up with the hardest working individual in music right now (even re-recording versions of her classic albums starting with 'Lover') for the 'No Body, No Crime' Este murder mystery storytelling genius off the 'Folklore' follow-up, 'Evermore' (two albums in one locked down year, but Haim still had the best of 2020 with 'WIMPIII'), the Instagram mooooood board pizza and animal onesie official fourth Haim sister returns the favor igniting the 'Gasoline' remix. Pouring petroleum all over it like the gas station, 50's bob-cut wigged and black dress sisters have in promotion, as she lights up her version of the second verse of her favourite track off the album (mine too...where's my verse?). Now "cancel that DNA test". And if the biggest star in music not named Beyoncé or Ariana wasn't enough than how about another remix to keep you up 'till' 3AM'? Expanding this deluxe edition of 'Women In Music Pt. III', the terrific Thundercat emerges from the water 'Drunk' like the 'Apocalypse Now' like iconic cover of his classic album we're still hungover from. After giving some sax to Haim's Christmas Waitresses cover 'Christmas Wrapping 2020 (All I Want For Christmas Is A Vaccine)' which should be under this tree, you don't want to miss this one this year. Following the Seth Meyers '3AM' live Halloween performance that rocked for the vote and carved it into a pumpkin as these corpse brides were facetime booty called by Batman himself, Robert Pattinson, Thundercat offers and even more smoother and soulful version of the cut which bests the original and even makes it one of the best for the record as the celery stalk in tomato juice beat comes back. THUNDERCAT! HO! All of this makes part two of the album of the year, 'Women In Music Pt. III' even more of a classic than it already was as they are set to tour this world like hopefully they and we still can (fingers crossed for a flight home from Tokyo to London where my bestie like Este kindly has tickets). But like another alive, live California cinematic classic music video from Paul Thomas Anderson you don't need a c### like this 'Man From The Magazine' to tell you. F### reading all about it. Just listen to 'Women'. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

Playlist Picks: 'Summer Girl', 'Now I'm In It', 'Gasoline (Remix) Feat. Taylor Swift'.