I Quit – Haim (Album Review)

Through A Levels, a global pandemic, and moving to London, Haim’s music has been a constant in my life.

‘I Quit’ marks Haim’s first full-length release in five years, since their critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated 2020 album ‘Women In Music PIII’– additionally one of my most listened to albums ever. Despite having listened to it, front-to-back, more times than I can count, with each listen I’m able to find new meanings and appreciate different parts of the music I hadn’t before. 

I first became obsessed with their music after watching a live performance of their song ‘The Steps’ on an American talkshow- and just being in total awe of the self-assurance and just, coolness they embodied, and more specifically how they could be so vulnerable in their lyrics but appear so composed and unbreakable onstage.

Having ordered an ‘I Quit’ CD, and entering into a prize draw to win tickets to Haim’s headline show at Dreamland, Margate, on a whim – I was frankly floored when I found out I had won. It was truly a privilege to see the album live a week after its release and, in turn, see my favourite band emerging into a new era of total liberation and freedom. It seems as though that within this new era, ‘I Quit’ functions as not just an album title, but rather a completely new way of life, especially within Haim’s live performance. 

In Margate, it seemed Haim operated on a ‘no effs given’ basis, unafraid to be as obvious as possible with the blatant red lettering above them, which tracked all the ways the band have ‘quit’. 

With their previous album, it felt as though Haim had really honed their craft as musicians, while injecting each song with a sense of raw messiness, which was honestly so exciting to listen to. And so, ‘I Quit’s’ first single ‘Relationships’ is just as electric, easily building off of the previous album’s foundation of brilliance, while simultaneously bringing in a newfound sense of lightness and playfulness. 

In this new era, there is a distinct feeling of a fog being lifted, which can perhaps be attributed to the atmosphere of newness and disruption which I Quit was produced from. Working with producer Rostam Batmanglij, following Danielle’s split from longterm Haim collaborator Ariel Rechtshaid, there’s an acute sense of freedom being laid out bare on this record. 

In 2025, “post-stark” as opposed to the rollout of ‘Women in Music PIII’ which effectively, almost exclusively, took place through fan meetups on zoom (all of which I attended!) and online interviews. To a band which seems to thrive on human connection and live performance, the sense of excitement at being able to share their music exactly how they want is palpable, and honestly, infectious. I can definitely attest to this as I was lucky enough to attend the spontaneous Relationships party, thrown in celebration of the single’s release- which saw me dancing to ABBA’s Dancing Queen with Alana on a Friday in a bar in Shoreditch (a moment permanently ingrained in my core memories.)

The band describe their new music as ‘the closest we’ve ever gotten to how we wanted to sound’. And I think that ‘I Quit’ certainly reflects this, in showing Haim at their most vulnerable yet self-assured yet. 

Haim’s new sound emerges through the album’s opening track ‘Gone’. The track swiftly picks up from the quiet anxiety of being trapped in a strained relationship expressed on their last album’s closing track ‘FUBT’, emerging as a breath of fresh air, and almost an update on where the band is at, after a five year music drought. ‘Gone’ emerges quietly, almost tentatively at first but quickly takes shape with a refreshed sense of carelessness- opening with lead vocalist and producer Danielle leading and demanding total attention ‘can I have your attention please, for the last time before I leave’. Firmly situating the album as one of rebirth and subverting the notion of what it means to quit or to give something up; a symptom of strength not of weakness, of finding power in shedding that which no longer serves you, (the song is so concerned with hammering home a feeling of freedom it literally samples George Michael’s ‘Freedom’), clearly tracking the raw grit of leaving a floundering relationship and places what it means to leave at the forefront of the album. 

‘I Quit’ offers a revived take on the break up album, honing in on an unfiltered sense of rage, akin to Alanis Morisette’s 1995 ‘Jagged Little Pill’, yet effectively cycling through all the stages of grief and mourning you might experience after the total breakdown of a relationship. For me, where Haim truly shines is through their exploration and celebration of sisterhood. Haim’s true sense of sisterly love and solidarity feels palpable, and infectious and is something which continuously shines through Haim’s every venture, and makes them so special as a band. The band’s unbreakable bond was practically inseparable from their Margate show, as well as I Quit, as the album states that you’re only able to truly quit through sisterhood and independence.

Written by: Mali Jones