The three Haim sisters have been jamming 80s-inspired pop since their infancy. They first claimed their Southern Californian sonic turf in 2013 with their debut album Days Are Gone, and since then, the band of three (plus drummer Dash Hutton) have partied with Taylor Swift, collaborated with Calvin Harris, and even made some radio waves with Beats1… meanwhile, their fans have been not-so-patiently waiting for album 2. “This better be good,” murmured disgruntled masses the world over.

“Just know that I want you back”

HAIM know we’re done with waiting, and Want You Back can be heard as a love letter to their fans— an apology of sorts for taking so damn long. Was it worth the wait? Only time (and the rest of the album) will tell. Regardless, it’s still a damn good track, infectious and fresh, but HAIM enough to remind the world why they made it to mainstream radio in the first place. As an aperitif for their upcoming album, Something To Tell You, Want You Back generates more than enough hype.

“I’ll take the fall and the fault in us/I’ll give you all the love I never gave before I left you”

HAIM notoriously sound different in recording than they do live. From the outset, Want You Back demonstrates the band’s awareness of this. The past four years have evidently brought about a new maturity in the sisters’ music, as they better balance the strengths of their live musicianship with contemporary musical sensibilities. What results, however, is still so clearly a throwback to the 80s pop rock of the Haim sisters’ youth. Seriously, Want You Back wouldn’t be out of place playing over the credits of a John Hughes film. The track combines HAIM’s signature percussive drive, plucky guitar licks, and three-part harmony with a new, more acoustic piano-driven chord structure. The overall sound is still synth-y, but not simply for the sake of it. All the electronic mixing uses what the sisters artfully pull out of their instruments. The track’s chorus is a joyous, gospel-inspired romp, complete with handclaps and stacked harmonies. Ladies and gents, this is the new HAIM, back bigger and bolder than days gone.

HAIM plan to drop their whole sophomore album, Something To Tell You, on July 7. HAIM fans will have to wait on the band’s Twitter and Facebook to satisfy until then. But wait… what’s this that’s just appeared on HAIM’s Spotify…?

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