After the 2012 record “Boys and Girls” you would have probably guest that this four-piece may go down a slightly less rock road and concentrate more on an alternative spin from the roots of the first album. Pat yourself on the back if you thought so, because thats exactly what they’ve done. While they have still kept hold of elements from their own bluesy core, they have definitely tried to release a record that has a certain edge to it that you wouldn’t associate with a typical blues artist.

With their main hit from the album coming as early as the second track on the album, it was hard to see them really keeping that same pace throughout. A tad slower in places but ultimately Alabama Shakes maintain that folky blues sound throughout the core of the record. Does it work? Well, it certainly works for the first 3-4 tracks but it does start to get very repetitive when you reach halfway. Their breezy percussion and soft sounding guitar strings fail to really add anything new to the album. Listeners of Alabama Shakes are aware that they can deliver good tunes but its now time to see if they can mix it up a little bit.

Listening to this album, I get the impression that they haven’t really bothered to try and attract more fans, they’ve just tried to keep their current fans happy. That can be seen as a good thing but it does mean that the record may end up being too much like the previous record. I wanted to like this record because I loved their 2012 hit, but this time around, as a whole album, its very mediocre at best. Its not a must buy, but its a nice album to have in your library.

Album Rating: 5/10

Alternatives:

  • Kings of Leon
  • Alt-J
  • Of Monsters and Men
Header Photo Credit: extras.mnginteractive.com