Where fawning over the woozy, bluesy tapestries of yore would surely have fattened the bank balance, the 6-minute funkadelic wigout Gemini and Shoegaze's post-Strokes garage punk reflect a daring appetite for evolution and a desire to move past 1960s pastiche.
The constant is Brittany Howard's voice, homespun and doe-eyed one minute, spitting fire and brimstone the next.
• Alabama Shakes. Sound & Color. Rough Trade.
• Four stars (out of five)
Single download: Don't Wanna Fight
For those who like: Mumford & Sons, My Morning Jacket, Prince
- John Hayden
