While their delightfully unique 2012 offering, Boys & Girls established Alabama Shakes as an interesting player in the modern music scene, the bands' sophomore album seems to be in a league of its own. The powerhouse that is Brittany Howard leads the charge with her incredibly immersive vocal. Bold basslines, bluesy electric guitar riffs and subtle, detailed percussive lines prove to be the perfect match for the vibrant energy of each vocal line. The result is an explosive record, that's full of life, groove and refined musicality.
While quirky lyricism, steady rhythms and snappy bass lines characterised Girls & Boys, Sound & Color offers listeners more complex content, both lyrically and musically. Howard's vocal has grown out of endearing innocence into a world of angst, heartbreak and longing and the result is an explosion of all that the title suggests. The development on the part of the lyricist has given freedom to each instrumentalist, resulting in a record that just soars. Vocal textures, subtle, tuneless instrumental riffs and even moments of dissonance work together as punctuation points on the album, taking listeners on a colourful emotional journey as they listen. It is this quality of boldness that sets Sound & Color apart as the band's best offering yet.
Although emotionally rousing, the album is also wonderfully easy to listen to. It has enough depth to capture focused attention and enough groovy musicality to set a great background mood. This is a quality I look for in music, and I think it's a tricky balance to strike, making it all the more impressive when it's done right.
The album brings to mind an eclectic list of references, the most noticeable being The Beatles circa Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club in the song Dunes. Both the vocal harmonies and the arpeggiated vocal with a bassline to match is strongly reminiscent of the iconic band in the 70's. The electric guitar joins the bassline to create a full, powerful sound which is a great match for Howard's boldness and vibrancy. Shoegaze brings to mind the best of alt rock from the early 2000's, somewhere between Paolo Nutini and The Killer's Hot Fuss. The album is such a great fusion of sounds and genres that it can't be categorised only as blues but rather fuses genres to create something that's accessible to lovers of all genres.
The title track is one that engages those who listen from the very first moments of the album. It was featured on an episode of the wonderfully mysterious Mr Robot. This serves as a reminder of the element of mystery that's so strong on this album. There's something I can't quite place as I listen, and that's something that keeps me hooked. It's a colourful, layered album with great musical and emotional depth. It's definitely worth exploring if you haven't, and I expect it'll be a part of my collection for many years to come.
