HAIM: Days Are Gone

The cover shows the three sisters of HAIM sitting unsmiling in their native Californian sun. The trio, whose name is Hebrew for “life”, turn out to be less nuanced about the Sunshine State on their debut.

They specialise in classic west coast soft-rock, all breathy vocals, ticking drums, lightly splashy synths and rippling Fleetwood Mac rhythms. The production is precise and clean; too clean, really – the songs are pleasant but over-polished, as though mistaking brightness for warmth. The faint urban-music sheen that envelops the album in its later stages steers the music in a more rewarding direction: the slow-burning atmospherics of “Go Slow” are reminiscent of The xx (whom they’ve supported on tour).

HAIM

Days Are Gone

(Polydor)