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Spread the Social Love:
Alabama Shakes are a collection of musical imagery, blended together in one, smooth, concoction of roots, folk, Americana, soul and punk-metal drumming. Boys & Girls is an anthology of the history of American music, played simultaneously, and in perfect harmony, which boggles the mind entirely. Every single track is bursting with flavour, passion and laced with a hint of heartbreak, a powerful enchanting country potion, that will keep you drinking until the early morning.
Their roots couldn’t be planted more firmly in the dust if they tried. Brittany Howard, who took up the guitar a few years previously, started song writing with the high school bass player, Zac Cockrell. The bassist was known for his ‘cool’ indie band shirts and they started their collaboration, penning some tunes before heading over to the local record store and asking Steve Johnson to accompany them to a party, where he agreed to transform the duo into a brand spanking new threesome. Now equipped with a punk-metal drummer, the group went into their local studio and recorded some demos, which found itself in the hands of their fourth and final member’s hands. Heath Fogg joined the band after asking the band to open a show for him, which they agreed to on the condition that he joined. Everything else is history as they say… but this is only the simple beginning of the story for the most haunting, compelling and painstakingly beautiful American rock band in recent history.
The blues rock, southern soul anthology opens with jangly Americana guitar, which instantly grips you and enables Brittany’s soulful vocals to envelop you and make you take note. ‘Hold On’ has all the characteristics of a solid, rock anthem, yet they stamp their unique branding all over it. Brittany’s yearning and pure emotion that drenches the whole track is the aural equivalent of just one more whisky on the rocks before the pub closes for the evening.
‘I Found You’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ are dripping with bittersweet sorrow and longing, a simple message that’s universally felt by us all, and delivered in a ferociously real way. Brittany’s narration of heartbreak sways languidly as a drunken butterfly over a sea of dense rhythm, fascinating melodies and thick imagery painted by the guitar.
‘Rise to the Sun’ and ‘Goin’ to the Party’ have a different pace to them, a little busier, a fragment more ferocity, yet the level of passion and yearning remains the same, which ever form it takes. The lyrics and melody seem to line-dance side by side to the sepia stained stories that unravels before our ears. Even though Alabama Shakes are incredibly modern and refreshing, there’s so much nostalgia and history deep rooted in their blues soaked tunes that’s so inviting.
Alabama Shakes have fashioned an absolute classic. Each song is a stunning work of art, but together, they’re a museum of masterpieces. Every beat has its purpose, every syllable is heavy with reason, every note has its desire and every second listening to this album is a moment I feel I have spent better than most of the moments that’s fleeted past me.
Listen to:
WATCH // Alabama Shakes - 'Hold On'
Their roots couldn’t be planted more firmly in the dust if they tried. Brittany Howard, who took up the guitar a few years previously, started song writing with the high school bass player, Zac Cockrell. The bassist was known for his ‘cool’ indie band shirts and they started their collaboration, penning some tunes before heading over to the local record store and asking Steve Johnson to accompany them to a party, where he agreed to transform the duo into a brand spanking new threesome. Now equipped with a punk-metal drummer, the group went into their local studio and recorded some demos, which found itself in the hands of their fourth and final member’s hands. Heath Fogg joined the band after asking the band to open a show for him, which they agreed to on the condition that he joined. Everything else is history as they say… but this is only the simple beginning of the story for the most haunting, compelling and painstakingly beautiful American rock band in recent history.
The blues rock, southern soul anthology opens with jangly Americana guitar, which instantly grips you and enables Brittany’s soulful vocals to envelop you and make you take note. ‘Hold On’ has all the characteristics of a solid, rock anthem, yet they stamp their unique branding all over it. Brittany’s yearning and pure emotion that drenches the whole track is the aural equivalent of just one more whisky on the rocks before the pub closes for the evening.
‘I Found You’ and ‘Heartbreaker’ are dripping with bittersweet sorrow and longing, a simple message that’s universally felt by us all, and delivered in a ferociously real way. Brittany’s narration of heartbreak sways languidly as a drunken butterfly over a sea of dense rhythm, fascinating melodies and thick imagery painted by the guitar.
‘Rise to the Sun’ and ‘Goin’ to the Party’ have a different pace to them, a little busier, a fragment more ferocity, yet the level of passion and yearning remains the same, which ever form it takes. The lyrics and melody seem to line-dance side by side to the sepia stained stories that unravels before our ears. Even though Alabama Shakes are incredibly modern and refreshing, there’s so much nostalgia and history deep rooted in their blues soaked tunes that’s so inviting.
Alabama Shakes have fashioned an absolute classic. Each song is a stunning work of art, but together, they’re a museum of masterpieces. Every beat has its purpose, every syllable is heavy with reason, every note has its desire and every second listening to this album is a moment I feel I have spent better than most of the moments that’s fleeted past me.
Boys & Girls is available to buy now
Listen to:
- Hold On
- I Found You
- Heartbreaker
- You Ain't Alone
- On Your Way
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