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Haim Returns With ‘Right Now,’ the First Release Off Their Sophomore Album

The rock ‘n’ roll siblings from L.A. are back with a fantastic track

by
Daniela Tijerina
April 28, 2017

The girls are back. And even though it’s been four years since Haim made their Grammy-nominated debut with their sweet but not-so-soft rock album “Days Are Gone,” this isn’t what you would call a comeback; they’re not better than ever. Instead, so far, they’re simply (and thankfully) back at it—as good as we remember them to be. And for this unshakably gifted triad of sisters from the Valley, that’s all we’ll ever need.

This week Haim released “Right Now,” the first official single from their sophomore LP, “Something To Tell You,” which is set for release on July 7. (The album itself is produced by Ariel Rechtshaid who also helmed their debut and who has worked with countless stars, everyone from Beyoncé to Vampire Weekend.) The track’s accompanying music video is directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie NightsThere Will Be Blood) and shows the sisters showcasing all the guitar shredding, drum thrashing, and lyrical skill that first wooed us back in 2013.

The song is slow but steady, as Danielle’s breathy vocals shine against her sisters’ as they patiently wait to bring the record into motion with their strings. As her voice intensifies it builds against Este’s striking bass riffs and soulful echoes of the lyric “right now” that come in response to Danielle heartbreaking lyrics, which land as triumphant realizations. As the oldest and the youngest siblings join in on damning percussion work it becomes unclear whether it’s the beat of the drum you physically feel in your heart or the break in Danielle’s voice as she sings: I wasn’t even in the running / Already had your mind made up / You left me searching for a reason / Why’d you leave, left me in the dust?

Around this time last year, in May, the Haim siblings, Danielle, Este, and Alana, performed two new songs (“Give Me Just A Little Of Your Love” and “Nothing’s Wrong”) while on tour, signaling the early workings of a new album. The group even cancelled their European tour last summer to get back in the studio and focus on this project. Then, in more recent days, leading up to their step back on to the music scene, several billboards sprang up from L.A. to Sydney with the girl’s faces plastered across them but that only read: “HAIM.” Following this, the band tweeted out a video of middle sister Danielle playing the drums concluded by an invitation: “Haim April 27th.”

April 27, 2017 pic.twitter.com/KqdkdLwAjA



— HAIM (@HAIMtheband) April 20, 2017

If “Right Now” is any indication of what to expect then their sophomore album should serve as an affirmation not just of who Haim has been building up the courage to become for the past four years, but rather the Haim they’ve always been. “Days Are Gone” laid their foundation and now we suspect that “Something To Tell You” will put them on full display, standing tall.

The sisters will be the musical guests on Saturday Night Live in two weeks, alongside host Melissa McCarthy, on May 13. One can expect the first live rendition of “Right Now” and anticipate the debut of a second single from the forthcoming album. Might we suggest, perhaps, the formal arrival of a polished studio version of “Nothing’s Wrong,” which I’ve been watching the grainy footage of for over a year now. It’s about to be a sweet-sounding summer. Welcome home, Haim.

Daniela is a journalist based in Brooklyn, originally from Texas. You can follow her on Instagram if you like.

Daniela is a journalist based in Brooklyn, originally from Texas. You can follow her on Instagram if you like.