Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls (2xLP, Clear Vinyl, 10 Year Anniversary Edition)

Alabama Shakes showed that soul is still very much alive and especially with a gritty sound is irresistible. Especially the groovy and intensely sung Hold On by singer / guitarist Brittany Howard was appreciated and it is therefore no surprise that Boys & Girls kicked off with that song. Alabama shows soon afterwards with Hang loose that they have even more hits in house. A genius swinging riff, supported by a rock solid rhythm section and Howard who is given all the space to sing the stars from the sky like a soul diva from the street. Musically it sometimes reminds of a slightly less sophisticated version of The Black Keys, which makes it sound all the more organic. Add a singer like Brittany Howard and you have a new soul sensation in your hands.