Brittany Howard’s slurry, big-hearted warble lets Alabama Shakes get away with more cliché and sentiment than it should. (There are more “bless-my-souls” here than a Christian pop album.) The sonic structures surprise more than most Memphis R&B records and the music’s fuzziness conveys more ambiguity than the oft-insipid lyrics.
Reminds you of: Amy Winehouse / The Black Crowes / Sharon Jones, with less Dap-Kings and more Lynyrd Skynyrd