- The sister trio of Haim became something resembling household names following the release of their 2013 debut album Days Are Gone, a thrillingly commercial collection of tunes that veered between ‘80's-flavoured soft rock, contemporary R&B and glossy indie-pop. A killer live show made it even easier to believe the hype, as the girls became show stealers at summer festivals around the world.

No doubt there would have been temptation to keep riding the wave of success with a rush-released second set of tunes but Danielle, Este and Alana instead found themselves touring their first album for two years only to record what they considered sub-par songs when they finally got into the studio for the follow-up.

The subsequent years allowed the band to take stock of what would make a strong second record and, ultimately, they made the right decision in taking their time, creating new album Something To Tell You.

Fortunately for Haim, absence has indeed made the heart grow fonder, and when they gave fans a taste of the new album with infectious first single Want You Back, the excitement around the trio became palpable once more.

The accompanying full-length is no disappointment either, taking the band’s formula and, with the aid of main producer Ariel Rechtshaid, giving it a more mature, cohesive and even more luxuriant sound. So while it inevitably doesn’t match its predecessor’s thrill of the new, it does maintain the band’s irresistible hooks and indie-savvy take on MOR pop.

Once again, we can thrill to Danielle Haim’s unique, percussive lead voice, a smoky blend of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie and Janet Jackson and her sisters’ lush harmonies. As a band, they are as slick and funky as ever, from the aforementioned Want You Back with one of the most memorable choruses of the year to the moody progressive-flavoured balladry of Right Now. New single Little Of Your Love throws in street corner doowop elements, while You Never Knew is one of their smoothest R&B pop songs to date.

Topic-wise, they still write about the good, bad and ugly aspects of modern millennial relationships, but their appeal manages to be more universal thanks to heartfelt delivery and an approach to songcraft that feels state-of-the-art and yet isn’t afraid to look to the past for inspiration. Four years after their debut album, Haim still feel like something refreshing and new in contemporary pop music.

- Matt Thrower.