Album Review: Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

Even allowing they’re a solid musical unit, a lot of the appeal and reputation of Alabama Shakes has pretty much centred around their main weapon: the imposing vocals and presence of Brittany Howard.

If unfamiliar, it’s one of those voices that comes straight out of her guts and heart and nails you to the wall. On their debut album, Boys & Girls, that was often enough. Their default rootsy, bluesy influences could work well – such as on breakout song Hold On – but elsewhere some songs could just drift along until the redemption of Howard going all Janis Joplin on their arse, elevating them to something else.

The band has realised some changes were needed. Thus, Sound & Color has them necessarily broadening the palette. Not really risk-taking stuff, but maybe just them having more confidence in what they’re about, and what they can do musically. Some underlying old-style rhythm & blues and soul elements probably always present are allowed more rein. Shoegaze has an almost Motown swing to it with the singer soaring over it. Or it can switch down to the late-night torch song style of Over My Head. Conversely, the previewing Don’t Wanna Fight shows she can still do the heartfelt plea thing.

The Shakes are maybe still a shit-hot bar band who you’d like to see just cranking out classic covers at 2am, but Sound & Color is a likely a few steps closer to their becoming more than that.