Alabama Shakes' Long-Awaited Comeback Album Finds the Band Exploring Fresh Sonic Territory

The band's third album, their first in over a decade, sees Brittany Howard and the group exploring new musical directions while retaining their raw energy. The record includes songs about regret, hope, and even gardening, with some tracks evoking pre-war era sounds and others venturing into Afrofuturistic territory. Reunited as a three-piece, the members sound reinvigorated, with Howard delivering an acrobatic vocal performance on 'Another Life'.

The album arrives roughly fifteen years after the band's debut EP first brought them national attention, and it follows Howard's extensive solo work, which pushed her toward genre-defying experimentation. Now operating as a trio with bassist Zack Cockrell and guitarist Heath Fogg, the group has shed its original four-piece configuration. The record's stylistic range is striking, from the pre-war era character of "Garden" to the Afrofuturistic textures of "Tea Time," with "Another Life" layering congas and glockenspiel beneath Howard's acrobatic vocal performance.

The band's earlier work, particularly 2015's Sound + Color, had already signaled a departure from their scrappy garage-rock origins. This new collection continues that trajectory while incorporating themes of regret, hope, and even gardening, suggesting a more reflective and mature songwriting approach than their earlier output.