Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

 

Alabama Shakes

Sound & Color

2015

Alabama Shakes, since their debut back in 2012, have been known for taking the Southern Rock genre and flipping it on its head.They have painted themselves the new face of the South and done so without ever giving in to any stereotype someone tried to set for them. Sound & Color is not different in its boldness, yet it is an entirely new sound for Alabama Shakes. Where Boys & Girls was a raucous introduction Sound & Color  is more understated, and way more experimental. Alabama Shakes with this record is blending in elements of psychedelic rock, 1970s funk and yet holds on to their very distinct personal style. With so much going on it should feel jumbled and disjointed but the exact opposite is true. Somehow everything comes together quite beautifully like on "Guess Who". "The Greatest" even sounds like a punk rock sound but absolutely funkified and morphed into something totally new and exciting.

Alabama Shakes are definitely at their best when they really stretch out and turn it up to 11, but the slow songs on this record are so pretty and bring something really gentle and smooth to the album. The final few songs on the album do let it down a bit, and ending with "Over My Head" wraps up the record with a whimper rather than a scream. The record sort of fades away rather than leaving you with something lasting and special right at the very end. This does not detract from what Alabama Shakes puts out track after track, but it is something to be mindful of when creating a full piece like Sound & Color is. Take a listen to Sound & Color it really is something special from a very special band. 

8 out of 10