A band should be more than an incredible lead singer. But after two albums that have failed to match the overwhelming adulation lumped onto Alabama Shakes, the question remains: What would this bombastic southern rock and soul outfit be without Brittany Howard?
That’s to take nothing away from the frontwoman. On record, her voice is one of popular music’s most powerful and dynamic. (Live, it’s on an even higher level.) With Alabama Shakes’ 2012 debut “Boys & Girls,” Howard’s unbridled shrieks and hollers led the Athens, Alabama-based group to rapid fame behind showstoppers like “Hold On” and “You Ain’t Alone.” Few songs on the follow-up, “Sound & Color,” reach the same heights. The ones that do, like “Future People” and “Gimme All Your Love” soar, but at a slightly lower altitude. Expanding on the smoky soul sound of “Boys & Girls” with blistering guitar freakouts, psychedelic instrumental breaks and a whole lot of Howard’s piercing falsetto, these rousing songs are some of the band’s best. Howard’s vocals also wow on the heartbroken lament “Don’t Wanna Fight” as she produces sound somewhere between a squeal and a wail. But the track’s hook grates after repeating the song’s title maybe a dozen times too many.
The rest of the album is likewise a disappointment, as its immaculate production gives the songs an edge-reducing polish. When “Sound & Color” tries to be aggressive, like on the power chord-heavy “The Greatest” and “Shoegaze,” it only feels like an impersonation of punk and indie rock. Another experiment, the meandering space rock of “Gemini,” doesn’t feel fully formed despite droning on for nearly seven minutes.
Alabama Shakes, a former classic rock cover band, may hit the right notes for many, but the band still has yet to fulfill its promise with a cohesive album. And it’s a sharp contrast between perceptions of greatness and a merely competent album like “Sound & Color,” which is little more than pleasant.
2.5 stars (out of four)
In concert: July 31 at Lollapalooza.
jterry@redeyechicago.com, @joshhterry
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