Alabama Shakes’ debut album, Boys & Girls, was one of the most promising releases of 2012. It earned them three Grammy nods and enough street cred’ to fill the very big shoes of The Black Keys as one of the headline acts at this year’s Bluesfest.
Needless to say, this follow up album had a lot riding on it, and thankfully the band has more to offer than one of the best voices in the business. Their sound has matured a lot since then and this is a huge step forward in the right direction. They’re got a confidence about them that’s totally invigorating. You get the feeling they know exactly what kind of music they want to be making, and they’re damn good at it.
The opening title track acts more as an extended intro, which is merely warming you up for what follows – the album’s first single Don’t Wanna Fight. With a foot-tapping bass line and some gutsy vocals from Brittany Howard, this is one of the best tracks of the year.
Dunes is a little more subdued, the way it slowly builds towards the climax is very reminiscent of Smith’s 1969 cover of Baby It’s You. Future People starts with that signature bass twang, and really hits stride for the tribal-inspired, group-chant chorus. Gimme All Your Love continually chops and changes tempo, blending R&B, soul and blues before breaking into a country rock finish. This Feeling strips the instrumental backing to a simple acoustic guitar, percussion and keys.
Guess Who is a funk-driven serenade, while The Greatest sounds more like grungy, garage punk. There’s really no genre stone left unturned, as Shoegaze and Miss You both go back to that sweeping blues vibe, while closing track Gemini is a Western-inspired, psychedelic space jam.
BY CHRIS BRIGHT
