Boys & Girls
With the rollicking, retro-tinged rock ’n’ roll of their debut, Alabama Shakes injected a righteous dose of guitar-driven jams into the musical landscape of the ’10s. Led by Brittany Howard’s gritty howl—her turn on the soulful stunner “I Ain’t the Same” is a punch straight to the gut—*Boys & Girls* shows the power of keeping things simple. The head-nodding groove of “Hold On” delivers a summery, hypnotizing haze, while the slinky guitar and bright piano bounce of “Hang Loose” inspire deep chill vibes.
The much-hyped, Jack White-feted Alabama garage band's debut finally arrives a significant amount of time after its completion, working to their benefit and detriment.
First the good news: By all accounts, Alabama Shakes is the sort of hard-working, no-nonsense band whose seemingly overnight success sits atop years playing sparsely attended bars and backyards. Their songs are physically hearty, technically deft, and refreshingly independent of hashtag genre trends. In other words,…
As far as supersonic rises to fame go, Jeremy Lin could stand to learn a thing or two from the Alabama Shakes. In the span…
The American south seems to imbue an indelible sense of itself upon the music made by its natives, that curious blend of country, rock ‘n’ roll, soul and blues seemingly so unique to the Sun Belt. Bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, and the Marshall Tucker Band all displayed these influences, sharing a sheer joy in performing.
<p>Alabama Shakes frontwoman Brittany Howard calls to mind Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin, writes <strong>Hermione Hoby</strong></p>
There's no denying Alabama Shakes singer Brittany Howard has a heartbreakingly great voice, but the music behind it is just too tame, writes <strong>Alexis Petridis</strong>