20. Haim / Women in Music Pt. III

Haim’s Women in Music Pt. III is undeniably enjoyable.  It rolls out across Los Angeles streets, sun worn and hopeful, as Danielle, Este, and Alana Haim work their way through country, R&B, and jazz-inflected tracks on their best album to date.  Though the songs depict depression, grief, and relationship troubles, a saxophone appears here and there, and the sisters’ quirky fun roams across the marvelous production, a credit to Danielle, Rostam, and Ariel Rechtshaid.

It is now hard to separate the record from the iconic music videos directed by auteur and friend Paul Thomas Anderson.  He directed “Summer Girl,” “Hallelujah,” “Now I’m In It,” and “The Steps” (with Danielle) and photographed the album’s cover art.  The videos capture their sisterly essence, authentic and endearing, as they glide through the City of Angels and invite us to discover their trials, their neighborhoods, their friends, and their effervescent music right along their side.