With no body of work to compare it to, a debut album should define an artist's ambitions, and set some direction for their future by leaving the listener with a hum or a beat that sticks with him well after it has left his ears. No one is looking for perfection in a debut's material. We look for a quality that may come to define the band's sound—an element to build upon to form an improved second effort and, eventually, a balanced career.
In these respects, Alabama Shakes' listenable roots-rock debut "Boys and Girls" is a model first effort.
One might expect that the undeniable rock 'n' roll veneration at work here—sculpted from years playing Zeppelin and AC/DC covers—will become the Alabama Shakes' signature style. The whiskey-soaked howls of lead singer Brittany Howard are sure to invite comparisons to Janis Joplin, and her airtight backing score is replete with stomping beats and radio-ready guitar licks.
The combination of wild jams and Howard's voice is teeth-grinding and brick-breaking, making the album likely to brew some recklessness in its listeners. The second track on "Boys and Girls," "I Found You" employs dexterous chord changes and well-earned builds. "Be Mine" begins with Howard's voice and a slow guitar crawl and evolves into a vigorous powerhouse that makes it sound as if the instruments are on the verge of breaking. Rockabilly romp "Heavy Chevy" cruises along faster than a Corvette and sees Howard at her most masculine. "Hold On," the band's lead single, may be the most enjoyable three minutes of music I've come across in a long time: With its catchy refrain, high-powered jams, and a feel-good vibe, it seems near impossible to find fault with this song.
Not since the golden years of The White Stripes can I remember an album with this breed of unadulterated, good ole fashioned rock and roll. The comparison is a natural one: Jack White has taken the band on tour with him and—likely jealous that According To Our Records, a subsidiary of RCA, signed them last year—has commissioned a special series of singles for his personal record label, Third Man.
The Shakes, however, possess a lighter touch than White. The second half of "Boys & Girls" presents a series of slower ballads that are more thoughtful than their colleague's work, as is especially the case with the R&B-influenced track "You Ain't Alone." The balance proves that the Alabama Shakes are striving to make a complete album rather than an onslaught of hard rocking anthems.
Brittany Howard, however, attacks and squeezes you with just about every line she belts, lacking the cutesiness generally attributed to female front women, such as Tennis' Alaina Moore or Cults' Madeline Follin.
While Howard may have the appearance of a middle-aged elementary school substitute teacher, her howls possess a genuine, sharp ferocity and grittiness that Adele only attempts to commodify. Howard often cracks and strains her voice (perhaps the result of a lack of formal training), and her raw, screw-it attitude is the glue to the group's sound. One can only hope she can keep it up through touring.
Alabama Shakes' home-cooked blues sound draws parallels to one of their contemporaries, The Black Keys, although the Shakes' bouncy rhythm exudes somewhat less gravitas, putting them in the vein of Dr. Dog. And like Dr. Dog, their lyrics occasionally run thin; nearly all of the songs take up the theme of living freely and partying hard. But it's in longing-filled serenades like "I Found You" and "You Ain't Alone" that the Shakes are at their best.
With Jack White hopefully serving as a bit of a mentor, let's hope the group takes off from "Boys and Girls" and produces a body of work that continues to showcase hard-rock nostalgia without sacrificing its originality. The Shakes' debut was produced at a series of recording sessions which pieced together their modest collection of original works, most of which were written on the fly during live performances. With some luck, ample touring will instill the band with even more creativity on its sophomore effort.
This week's five hum and beats:
Alabama Shakes—"I Found You"
The Walkmen—"Heaven"
Phantogram—"When I'm Small"
Childish Gambino—"Bonfire"
Star Slinger—"Mornin'"