Sound & Color - Alabama Shakes

Let's get another one done, get er dun. This is the second album by Alabama Shakes. I reviewed their debut, didn't like it, but when I heard the first sing to drop it wasn't so bad. So I decided to review this album, the thing is I didn't hear the entire thing until December. Well.... let' just say I made a mistake. Sort of, not entirely but kind of.

1. Sound & Color: This intro is miles away from that boring last record. I love that xylophone in the beginning, it reminds me a bit of Bill Withers. While once the song comes in, singing, the xylophone isn't as useful I still like the textures. I don't love this song, but I do like it enough to say it's like a 7. I think the strings add to this nice texture that is heard here. This track reminds me of Weight of Love. It sounds great, though that track is a bit superior to this, but after that the rest of the songs may not be so great.
2. Don't Wanna Fight: I do like this song too, but only to a certain extent. This is the definition of what I like to listen to if I have to listen to the radio. And interesting song that is cool and sounds nice, like the Black Keys or White Stripes. But the sad part is I usually forget it once it's over, except in the case of The Stripes. But easy come easy go. This really does sound like a Keys track. Prior to that track I didn't check, so this is a serious hunch, I wouldn't be surprised if Dan produced it. Also they have that repeating the title to the point of annoyance in common.
3. Dunes: Okay, all I can say is this sounds like a cover of a Beatles track. Listen to the track and just tell me if you can pick up what I'm saying. There are at least five songs, maybe, I can pick certain parts and instruments out from. Most of them from Rubber Soul/Revolver albums and era. With the ending maybe being like I Am The Walrus.
4. Future People: Four tracks in and I'm already giving up. I was seriously going to type, I don't care at this point. I mean I came back when I wasn't in such a bad mood, and still didn't like it. Why listen to this when I can hear this in other places done better. Take The Kids off Broadway.
5. Gimme All Your Love: I listened to a track from that other album before listening to this, maybe a bit of a break will help. While I like the jazzy feeling to this keys, not feeling anything else. Why can't I enjoy this band. I'm not saying this is bad, I'm saying I don't like it.
6. This Feeling: Not only am I okay to check out, this song is boring. I can't say there is anything about it I care to dig into.
7. Guess Who: I mean this track may not be interesting, but it isn't terrible. I could totally see myself listening to this as background music. That or radio music, while I do something else and don't focus on this.
8. The Greatest: This isn't that bad, but that's because it reminds me of The Strokes. I'll probably relisten to this track in the future.
9. Shoegaze: This song literally, I seriously couldn't tell the last song ended. This starts off okay, but I mean again this isn't anything special. It's just kind of similar to the rest of the album. Sersiously I need to start listen to these things before I start a review.
10. Miss You: Ah a cover my favorite Stones track, you know the one that never gets annoying. This song is kind of nice, but to be honest I could get this a bit more tailored to my tastes elsewhere. There is a song I love, and it's just about the same exact composition, maybe not notes but sections and changes, as this one. There's even a piano that is arpeggiated and it's very similar to this. I can't quite think of it, I'll add it in once I do, but this also reminds me a bit of New York I Love You, But Your Bringing Me Down. Like the piano part, and there was a part that vaguley reminded me of Last Time by The Stones.
11. Gemini: This track, seriously, sounds like it's slowed down. Like it's making fun of me for wanting this to be over. Also this is a pretty boring song, even when I listen to it by it's self.
12. Over My Head: Closing the album, finally, is a track that just feels like I want it to be over. I got nothing here to add.

Overall I have to give this album a 4/10. There isn't anything here I care about, I mean I wanted to do this, I thought it sounded cool when I first heard track back last April, but it hasn't really aged well. It's not like it was over played, I just lost interest in it. I don't think this is bad, it just bores me. I can't focus because there isn't anything that I find worth focusing on for me. I should do a Foxygen review.

Boys And Girls - Alabama Shakes

This is a band called Alabama Shakes. They are a southern rock/garage rock/blues band from, ironically enough, Alabama. They formed in 2009 and released an Ep last September. I originally heard of them via NPR after looking at the SXSW videos on their website while listening to M. Ward's new album A Wasteland Companion. I kind of forgot about them until I watched the Rock It Out Blog! for April 3rd, 2012. He mentioned that you can stream their album for free on NPR's website. Well I'm all about that, because I think that it might be interesting, and he mentioned that it was good.

1. Hold On: This song starts out like a song that you can move back and forth to. The way the singer, Brittany Howard, is singing sounds like vocals that could be on Lonely Boy off The Black Keys latest album, El Camino. This song also sounds like it could possibly be on it, for the most part. The chorus not so much, but the versus sound that way. This song is ok, I'm not in love with it, but I do think that it is ok.
2. I Found You: This song doesn't have that much difference between that last track and this one. There is a difference, but I don't really care for it. This isn't that good so far. A big difference is the insertion of backing vocals on this track.
3. Hang Loose: This song gives me this feel of, this is an endless loop. They actually remind me of the band that went on before me yesterday. They were good, its just some of the songs could have been the same song.
4. Rise to the Sun: This kind of has more of a reggae feel to it. I think that I can say that. It is kind of like a song that I could see that reminds me of D'ye Maker off the 1973 Houses of the Holy by the, who the singer could be compared to Robert Plant, blues giants Led Zeppelin.
5. You Ain't Alone: This sounds like a song that would be played at like a '50s dance or something. I could kind of picture this being something that a band that would be like Ruben & The Jets style of music from The Mothers of Invention 1968 Crusing with Ruben & The Jets. The ending kind of reminded me of David Bowie's 1969, at least I think so, epic Memory of a Free Festival.
6. Goin' To The Party: This song is boring, and there isn't much more to say about it.
7. Heartbreaker: This is another song that could be along with Goin' to the Party.
8. Boys & Girls: This is the title track, so I am hoping for a big thing. And to be honest... that was extremely boring. 
9. Be Mine:................................. yawn
10. I Ain't The Same:.....
11. On Your Way: This is the same, boring and not interesting to me. The only difference is that this song is a more uplifting song. 

Overall I have to give this a 5/10. This is the first time I've heard anything by these guys and this was what I was expecting. I'm not a huge fan of Southern Rock, well... at least not so much any more. I don't know, it has kind of lost it's flavor with me. That's part of the reason I want to hear Jack White's new album before I buy it, versus me just buying it the day it comes out. I didn't really like it, and I honestly can't say I will. I think it was too boring to heard, I've heard this before, but I never have. does that make sense. This album dragged for me. Who knows it might not for you. I do think if you like blues and southern rock you should check this out. I feel like this album had a terrible set up. Too many boring songs lined up and then the non boring songs were too spread out.