"Women in Music Pt. III" by HAIM is a genuine venture into detailed emotional songwriting

Photographer: Paul Thomas Anderson

HAIM: "Women in Music Pt. III"

Released: June 26, 2020

Label: Columbia

Genre: Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock

Producers:

Ariel Rechtshaid, Buddy Ross, Danielle Haim and Rostam

Writers:

Alana Haim, Ariel Rechtshaid, Danielle Haim, Este Haim, Lou Reed, Ramesh Srivastava, Rostam, Tayla Parx, Tobias Jesso Jr. and Tommy King

Haim released their third studio album, "Women In Music Pt. III," on June 26. The three sisters, Este Haim, Danielle Haim, and Alana Haim experienced various personal struggles, including Alana's friend's death, Este's struggles with Type 1 diabetes, and Danielle's partner Ariel Rechtshaid's cancer diagnosis. After touring for their previous album, "Something To Tell You" (2017), those occurrences are openly described on this new record as we see further.

"Women In Music Pt. III" was produced with Rostam Batmanglij, Ariel Rechtshaid, and Buddy Ross. Haim turns desolation into richly searching music with this record, putting familiar sounds through their unique filter.

The album opens with "Los Angeles," an outburst to the sisters' hometown, which despite being "Clearly the greatest city in the world," is also the place where "I felt more alone."

"The Steps" is a desire to jump to another level in the relationship, but it seems complicated due to different views. The track has a catchy tune, and the lyrics evoke pain, frustration, and determination.

The third song, "I Know Alone," seems to be an outbreak of sadder past situations, highlighting that we know each other better than anyone else. On an Instagram post, the band wrote that this song comes "from feeling like I was in the deepest spiral of being alone and feeling like I felt loneliness deeper than anyone ever had. I remember there were a lot of solo drives with a couple diet cokes in the passengers seat, going for hours at night to clear my head.". It contains references to "Both Sides Now," a track written by folk singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

Another music that carries the same level of emotion is "I've been down." It reveals delicate moments, even with their love by their side. She sings about taping up the windows of her house, adding sardonically, "But I ain't dead yet."

Photographer: Yana Yatsuk

In "Women in Music Pt. III", love is one of the main themes. "Up from a dream" describes a romantic dream, but it ends when we wake up and realize that everything is different. "Gasoline" is about a romantic car ride that shouldn't have happened because it turned out to be disappointing. "All That Ever Mattered" speaks about that not valued love. "FUBT," standing for "Fucked Up But True," is a heavy guitar ballad about loving someone who shouldn't but who will continue to love anyway, and "3 AM" talks about getting a call at 3 AM. As much as this person must be resisted, she cannot resist answering the phone call for the last time.

"Don't Wanna" is about not wanting to lose that love forever. Danielle further discussed how Tom Petty's "Wildflowers" album inspired her. "Another try," in contradiction to the previous one, raises the question of whether this love is worth trying again. At the end of the track, we know that the opportunity has been given, and even if it doesn't end well, at least they tried.

"Leaning on you" is a loving and supportive one, and the guitar solo here is the higher part, while "Hallelujah" is a beautiful and vulnerable side of Haim. Co-written with Tobias Jesso Jr., Alana pays tribute to her best friend, who died in a car crash.

In "Man from the Magazine," the band shared some discomforts they went through, among which inappropriate conversations or comments they did not like on interviews. "Man from the magazine what did you say? / "Do you make the same faces in bed?"/ Hey, man, what kind of question is that?"

Despite its lyrics, "Now I'm in it" is not about a breakup but mental health – struggling between yourself and your mind. It's one of the highlights of this project.

The closer "Summer Girl" is a "sunny" positive vibe. The album ends as it began, with Los Angeles on Danielle's mind, "L.A. on my mind, I can't breathe." The track also addresses long-time producer (and Danielle's partner) Ariel Rechtshaid's testicular cancer diagnosis: "Walk beside me, not behind me / Feel my unconditional love."

"Women In Music Pt. III" is a profound reflection of pain, depression, and love.

Photo: HAIM Official Instagram

Favorite Lyrics on the album: Editor's Pick

"Man from the magazine what did you say?/ "Do you make the same faces in bed?"/ Hey, man, what kind of question is that?" (Man from the Magazine)

"You say there's no stupid questions/ Only stupid people/ Well, I've been feeling pretty foolish/ Trying to get myself through this/ And I've been watching too much TV/ Looking up at the ceiling/ It's been making me feel creepy/ I'm just trying to shake this feeling" (I've been Down)

"Laughing together like our thoughts are harmonized/ Been that way since '95/ Give me direction when it is hard to fight/ Three roads, one light"/( Hallelujah)