Heralded as one of the top bands to watch of 2012, you could say that the Alabama Shakes are under a fair bit of pressure with their highly anticipated freshman album, Boys & Girls. Set to release internationally April 9, NPR started streaming the entire album on their website, and folks, it does not disappoint in the slightest.
Their tracks tend be on the shorter side, but what they lack in length they more than make up for in sheer raw power. And a key source of this power comes from vocalist/guitarist Brittany Howard, whose soulful pipes and earth-shaking lung power carry the heavy, swampy rhythms that so exemplify their unique brand of Deep South blues rock’n’roll. Favorite track: “Hold On.”
Listen to the full album here.