There's no holding back from Brittany Howard and the Alabama Shakes crew on their follow-up to 2012's Boys and Girls. At times they seem to be channelling Led Zeppelin or Janis with Big Brother and the Holding Company, delivering unrestrained vocals with a grittier more dense sound.
There's less ofthe retro derivative approach on Sound & Colour, which allows more freedom for Alabama Shakes to demonstrate that there's more in their kit bag than the debut album might have suggested. Yes, some of the tracks are reminiscent of Boys and Girls, but there's much more variety.
The title track is a real burner, and the first single, Don't Wanna Fight, allows Brittany to give her take on social issues in a no-holding-back manner. Given their Austin, Texas smarts I guess it's no surprise that Alabama Shakes decided to totally review their sound before regrouping in the studio for what is often a problematic second album. Especially after the success of Boys and Girls. Best to ready yourself for a full-on ride as Alabama Shakes raise the bar with Sound & Colour.
