Haim bring the rock on their new single, "The Wire."

When I saw Haim at SXSW earlier this year, the Los Angeles band triumphed over a keyboard glitch by turning up the guitars and delivering rock harder than the last level of "Angry Birds." Much like the HBO drama of the same name, the sister band's "The Wire" shows off that grittier side, opening with sports-anthem drums and a single, ringing power chord, as if ready to launch into a Joan Jett tribute. But "The Wire" isn't all edge: As it eases into the pre-chorus, a vintage synthesizer creeps in and twinkles as the song hits its hook. "It felt right, it felt right," Danielle Haim sings, "But I fumbled it when I came down to the wire."

Listen to Haim's "The Wire" after the jump.

That's a little hard to believe because Haim's secret weapon is being ridiculously good musicians: whether they're channeling Fleetwood Mac or '90s R&B, they nail it. The track feels really, really right at the 2:32 mark, as the sisters deliver an unadorned three-part harmony that escalates into countermelodies and Danielle's crackling lead guitar. It's a "Pacific Rim" monster of a song: huge, hooky and ready to wreck major cities and/or pop charts. We're still waiting on info for the band's TBA debut album, but the sisters (and their unrelated dude drummer, we remember you!) might be too busy being road warriors: They'll be touring from August to November with the likes of Mumford & Sons and Phoenix.

+ Listen to Haim's "The Wire."

Photo credit: Bella Lieberberg