Album Review: Alabama Shakes - Boys And Girls

Emerging from tiny Athens in the Deep South, Alabama Shakes established a reputation for their ferocious live performances and relentless energy, translated seamlessly on their debut album, Boys And Girls. Initially conceived as an EP, released in September last year, the band self-recorded, produced and mixed an additional seven tracks – and thank god they did.

The four-piece have delivered a ferocious and inspired debut album, steeped in an array of influences to blend the emotion of soul and country, with power and punk rock fervour. First track Hold On is introduced with a relaxed, swampy guitar riff and steady drums before Brittany Howard's aching and expressive vocals deliver the opening lines: “Bless my heart, and bless my soul, I didn't think I'd make it to 22 years old”. The track continues riding between the band's rhythmic instrumentals and Howard's unparalleled, optimistic vocals in which she howls and yells, bursting with energy and before quieting to a croon when urging us to – as the track suggests – hold on.

Influences of the '60s are most apparent in the rhythm and expression in I Found You, whose thankful message is aided nicely by gospel-esqe backing vocals, which proves to be a highlight of the album and demonstrates the band's integration of their array of influences. Other exemplary tracks You Ain't Alone, Heartbreaker and Be Mine shows the diversity and immense talent of the band and their mature treatment on the subject of relationships, which is heightened and dramatised by the powerful build up and breakdown of prog-rock accompaniment and Howard's raw, affecting vocals, reminiscent of Janis Joplin.

Boys And Girls is an explosive, beautiful and tightly controlled debut that is nothing less than perfection.