by Matt Carney ’14

As debut albums go, it doesn’t get much better than Alabama Shakes’ Boys and Girls. It earned them a nomination for the 2013 Best New Artist Grammy, and was also voted number 1 on the prestigious WFUV Best of 2012 Listener’s Poll (beating the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Jack White, Bob Dylan, Mumford and Sons, and countless others).

Thanks in large part to lead singer Brittany Howard, Boys and Girls is a perfect revival of the soulful music of the 60s.  Songs include everything from a slow-dancing waltz (“You Ain’t Alone”)  to an uplifting march (“I Ain’t the Same”) to their first single from the album, and my favorite, “Hold On.” Alabama Shakes’ southern roots and rugged sound make them one of strongest new bands of the decade.

The Shakes have something too many artists lack these days: honesty. You’ll find no auto-tuned or over-polished vocal production in their songs. It’s as if in creating this album the band just gathered round a microphone to play and sing the music they love. When asked how the band got started in an interview with 101.9 KINK-FM, Howard said, “We just wanted to get out there and play together because it was a whole lot of fun and…we didn’t care if anybody listened or not, and we didn’t care if we got paid or not…” That attitude gives the Shakes a fresh, live sound, not hindered by the desire to please. It also makes their live performances even more compelling. The Shakes do not hold back on the stage, and that style has earned them invitations to Letterman, as well as to prestigious festivals like Bonnaroo and – this coming August – Lollapalooza, which is already completely sold out.

Alabama Shakes is a breath of fresh air to me. It’s rare to hear an artist or a group that encompasses so many different kinds of music within their work. I trust we’ll be listening to them for many years to come, but I won’t forget the day I first heard Boys and Girls on the radio. Alabama Shakes is off to an incredible start. Can’t wait for their next record, but for now, I’ll happily pass time with their first.