HAIM’s I quit turns defiance into an art form, ripping through expectations with sharp guitars, raw emotion, and the unshakable confidence of a band finally sounding exactly how they want.
HAIM’s fourth album doesn’t simmer - it burns. I quit is the sound of three sisters who’ve grown tired of expectation and are ready to go scorched-earth in the most melodic way possible. Produced by Danielle Haim and longtime collaborator Rostam Batmanglij, the 15-track album bristles with electric guitars, unfiltered emotion, and a newfound sense of defiance that’s been brewing just below the surface since Women In Music Pt. III.
That fire was on full display at two surprise shows in April at Los Angeles’ Bellwether, the band’s first full-length performances in nearly two years. With a glowing “I quit” banner behind them and a sold-out crowd still catching their breath, HAIM made it official: the next era had arrived. And it wouldn’t be quiet.
If WIMPIII was their most adventurous, I quit might be their most unapologetic. "It’s the closest we’ve ever gotten to how we wanted to sound," said Alana Haim, adding that the recording process was an entirely different experience this time around. The trio tapped back into the raw energy of their earliest gigs while building something sonically expansive, designed to hit hard onstage and stick in your head long after.
That intent is clearest on “Down to Be Wrong,” a defiant slow-burn that barrels into self-preservation mode. “Don’t need you to understand, don’t know if you can,” sings Danielle, closing with the unforgettable kiss-off: “Red lights are up ahead, but I keep walking.” Earlier singles “Relationships” and “Everybody’s Trying to Figure Me Out” hinted at the band’s shifting tone - equal parts tongue-in-cheek and dead serious. Pitchfork dubbed the former “the first song of the summer,” while Rolling Stone praised the latter’s gritty liberation. Even Vulture took note of the balance HAIM strikes between sharp craftsmanship and playful bravado, writing, “They’re not taking anything too seriously except for the quality of what they put out into the world.”
With Paul Thomas Anderson once again behind the album artwork, I quit carries a visual language just as self-assured as the music itself. It’s been four years since Women In Music, Pt. III turned critics’ heads, topped the charts, and earned HAIM a pair of Grammy nods, including the historic Album of the Year nomination - the first ever for an all-female rock group. But I quit isn’t a casual victory lap. It’s a gut-punch. It’s a middle finger. It’s HAIM hitting the gas with no intention of slowing down.