10 Most Overrated Albums Of 2013

10. Days Are Gone €“ Haim

The 70's and 80's soft rock vibe presented to the listener in Haim's debut album 'Days Are Gone' isn't one that correlates with the "90s R&B" description that was put to music-lovers in early articles about Haim's sound. If you were expecting the latter then I would bet that every track on the album but 'My Song 5' was a disappointment for you. Instead of the promised R&B, the listener is confronted with the former; a series of songs that are laced with aspects of 70's and 80's soft rock. There are admittedly more than a few catchy songs, including "Falling," "If I Could Change Your Mind" and "Honey & I"; but these tracks are remarkably similar sounding. I'd even go as far as to say that it's hard to differentiate between one tracks end, and another's beginning. Haim, consisting of three sisters - Danielle, Alana and Este €“ are a girl band that took the world by a storm in 2013... and 'If I Could Change Your Mind', I'd like to be so bold as to point out why they've been so successful, when perhaps they ought not to have been. These women are feisty, kooky and engage with their fans. In an industry where bands are predominantly male, it's fair to say that they've made their mark; I don't think it takes much prompting to remind you of the sweary Twitter war that occurred between Haim and Los Campesinos! It's nice to see more female bands on the music scene sure, but that said, I think it's important not to let the looks account for musical appreciation. Many male friends of mine have expressed how hot the Haim sisters are €“ but as a straight woman it'd be nice to have something a bit more substantial that 11 same-ish tracks and three attractive women to get excited about. The days are gone where it would be cool to admit to liking Shania Twain (she was a large part of my musical formative years, I won't lie to you), but the third track "The Wire" catapults me right back to dancing round my bedroom with a hairbrush pretending to be a star. It's the epitome of cheesiness; the songs are pretty formulaic €“ reliant upon those oh-so-important choruses that scream for the listener to sing along - therefore needing this enthusiasm to carry you past the bland lyrics. But apparently cheese is one of the nation's favourite foods; if the fact that 'Days Are Gone' reached Number One in the UK Albums Chart (selling 37,005 copies in its first week) is anything to go by, that is.