HAIM – I Quit

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Have you ever had the feeling that a little piece is missing from an album? It’s something that you have a hard time putting your finger on, but it’s an uneasy feeling that something is just…off. I got a little bit of that feeling when I listened to HAIM’s fourth studio album called I Quit, a record that is largely about giving up on relationships that aren’t worth our time and effort. Even as I kept coming back to I Quit over my weekend, I couldn’t shake the feeling that a bit of the magic that the band put into their stellar predecessor of Women In Music Pt. III wasn’t there. This current set was produced by Rostam Batmanglij (Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend), lead vocalist/guitarist Danielle Haim, as well as some extra production from Buddy Ross (Frank Ocean), and the overall sheen that comes through the speakers on singles like “Relationships” and “All Over Me” are readily apparent. The music that surrounds the early standout moments just doesn’t seem to recapture that classic HAIM style, even if those “highs” found in the key songs are great.

”Gone” gets I Quit started out on the right foot with a steady bass line from Este Haim, while the three sisters rally around the lyrics in the bridge of, “You can hate me for what I am / You can shame me for what I’ve done / You can’t make me disappear / You never saw me for what I was / You can’t fake it (No you can’t) / I won’t make you (No I won’t) / I won’t change you (What’s the point?) / Since I’m gone (On my own).” It’s a pretty definitive statement in the lyrics that resemble an argument with a lover who is on the way out. “All Over Me” follows the fresh opening statement with a cool guitar groove from Danielle/Alana Haim, while the drumming from Danielle has a nice punch to it. As the track unfolds, Danielle croons, ” So take off your clothes /
Unlock your door / ‘Cause when I come over / You’re gonna get some,” with blissful intentions in a moment of pure emotion.

The Side A section of the record continues to get front-loaded with great material, as the lead single of “Relationships” helps set the tone for the majority of the rest of the album’s lyrical material and context. The production on this track is really top notch and showcases what these sisters are capable of when working with the steady hand of Rostam (who also gets several writing credits on I Quit). “Down To Be Wrong” is the first track that plods along to the finish line, with a surprisingly uninspired bass line from Este early on, and some downplayed vocals from Danielle. The chorus of, “Oh, I bet you wish it could be easy to change my mind / Oh, I bet you wish it could be easy, but it’s not this time,” prevents the song from being “filler” material, but is otherwise a bit forgettable among the 15 songs.

”Take Me Back” brings HAIM back to the cool, upbeat tempo, while Danielle chooses to nearly-rap/talk the early verses with a deadpan delivery. The cheery choruses allow for the song to strike the right balance in the overall song structure. “Love You Right” seems like a continuation of that same guitar tone from “Take Me Back,” while “The Farm” is a bit of a hard song to get through. On “The Farm”, Danielle gives an extraordinary vocal performance over an acoustic guitar, but the overall song is a bit sleepy and comes at the wrong time in the middle of the track sequencing.

”Lucky Stars” begins over a programmed drumbeat to wake the audience up again from the previous song, and sets the course for the Side B section of I Quit. “Million Years” once again finds Danielle opting into a spoken word type of verse structure, while she expands upon her thoughts in the bridge lyrics of, “And I know love finds a way to take a toll on you / Light has a hard time gettin’ hold of you / But we stopped time once in a photograph / And I keep it in my pocket.” It’s a bit of a different type of song for HAIM to experiment with, and overall it works more often than it doesn’t.

Other songs like the acoustic guitar-plucking approach of “Everybody’s Trying To Figure Me Out” kind of get stuck in neutral, while the jazzy piano of “Try To Feel My Pain” is a cool song that is sure to be a memorable part of HAIM’s world tour in support of I Quit. “Spinning” features the most unique beats in the entirety of their new LP, and features another great vocal performance from Danielle, plus nice backing harmonies from Este/Alana, in a Michael Jackson-esque type of song. “Cry” is a ballad that is laced with some tender piano strokes, and features the heartfelt lyrics of “Seven hours and I feel no pain / Oh, it’s not terrifying, it’s not anything / And I feel that I, I’m holding strong / Then I’m telling a story and I have to say your name / And I’m overcome,” over some backing instrumentation that closely resembles Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida.” The song is a nice breakup from some of the similar-sounding tracks that dominate I Quit, and helps with closing out the record on a nice note.

The closing duo of the twangy “Blood on the Street” paired with the electronic-based song of “Now It’s Time” has Rostam’s blueprint all over the production, as well as a litany of outside writers credited on the track. Danielle closes out this era of HAIM with the final verse/statement of, “And I realize now you will always find a way / To keep feeling okay with lying to my face / It was not for me to wait / It was not for me to change / And I’m reaching out to say / I never gave two fucks anyway.” This sense of closure in her past relationship is helpful for her gain a solid footing for her next step forward. And what better way to do so than with family at your side to rock your troubles away.

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