Haim is the Bangles of the 21st Century, three cute Jewish girls and a drummer from the Valley with better beats and worse songs than the Bangles. And opening for Mumford And Sons with so so so nuch positivity press it is hard for them to stay afloat mired in so much better.
With leather coats and tons of toms toms, Haim played a cover of “Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh well” around the two thirds marks, and followed it with their best song “The Wire” and if wasn’t for all the buzz you might be nodding your head and saying, the melodies could be a little more tuneful, but they play way and they have a smart attitude. Could do well.
But because of the hype, and because, opening for Mumford And Sons at Barclays, a pretty big stage by bands standards, you have to judge a band with one EP and a couple of single by a standard they aren’t ready for.
The three part harmonies and good if you’ve never heard the Roches, the beats are powerful and constant by any standards, the girls have a Bangley charm and swagger about them, and the audience liked em pretty damn well considering, but the set didn’t gel and as thegirls switch instruments you waited for them to catch fire, but you waited in vain.
Alyson liked em a lot more than I did (I wasn’t crazy, though I didn’t dislike, the singles either0, there was something not ready for prime time, even opening act status about the set. For all the stamnina and all the thud, it waved about too much.
Far from calling Haim out, I bet they get better but I also hope they write better songs and soon. It isn’t their fault they got hot too soon, all Haim can do is keep on touring and wait for the band to get it right.
Grade: C