The incredible facial contortions that Este Haim pulls when she is lost in the groove of her bass guitar became a bit of an internet meme around a month ago, when her band made its UK television debut on Jools Holland.
But while the eldest Haim sister, with her rockstar poses and coarse onstage banter, might draw the eye, those who focus on the "bassface" might be missing just what it is that makes the three Californian sisters so great. The band's secret weapon is middle sister Danielle with her wild hair, wilder guitar riffs and even wilder drumming. While all three are incredibly talented musicians, it's Danielle I can't take my eyes from.
Missing the point of Haim is easy to do if your awareness of the band stretches to the Fleetwood Mac-aping, radio friendly singles that saw them tipped BBC Sound of 2013. When they open with Better Off, all classic California chords and Stevie Nicks vocals, you'd be forgiven for thinking the same applied to them live. By the end of the song, when the three sisters join drummer Dash Hutton in ripping the innocence right out of it with percussion, it's a very different proposition.
First single Forever and current chart-botherer Falling get the biggest reception of the night. Live, the three prioritise musicianship over the gooey studio harmonies, but with youngest sister Alana on keyboards those two probably still stand the strongest as individual songs.
By the end, both descend into wild jamming sessions with Danielle and Este shredding their respective instruments. The influences are there: Pat Benetar, Black Velvet, even a bit of 80s Bon Jovi – but Haim have a sound all of their own.
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