On the recommendation of some trusted friends, I give a listen to the debut by some southern rockers. I surely would have avoided this if left to my own devices. While totally opposite from the indie rock that I often review here; both forms often fall into the same traps. Monotony and well-worn clichéd themes.The joker in this deck though comes in the form of singer Brittany Howard. Her voice is as dynamic and infectious as any you'll hear. Pretend that Adele ever got fucked as much as she got heartbroken. And this is an important component, because while the band is altogether great; no one will be touting their innovativeness. This is classic rock to it's core. The themes aren't going to surprise you. With a song called "Hold On", you're going to get little more than "times are troubled, hold on". And if I thought someone was just being lazy, I'd let you know. But sometimes, those blues sentiments ring true and are delivered with conviction. That's Alabama Shakes.
But I don't want to undercut the band though. They're perfect for this delivery. There's no Jack White or Dan Auerbach genius playing here, but it feels good. Be on the lookout for a plethora of "dive bombs" - where the band drops out for a second while Brittany screams into an on-the-one crash. It's a great trick. Kudos too to producer Andrija Tokic for the live recording and keeping the drums as out-in-front as they were left. There's a lot of history in Alabama soul production and it was held up here.
Great timing too with the Spring release. Keep this repeating for your next BBQ/boating/drinking mixer. Or just walk by the BRT - they'll have it on. (4 of 5 stars)
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