The Southern states of the U.S. have a rich history in music. From the soulful domination of Stax Records in the sixties to the Outkast-led Hip-hop boom of the nineties, the Southern States have provided a colorful soundtrack for some of the most daunting times in America. The year was 2015, and the United States was just a year away from a culturally-shattering Presidential race. The country, as it typically is so close to an election, was in shambles and felt disconnected, torn apart by political biases and shifting social standards. Thankfully, 2015 was also a phenomenal year for new music, and the soundtrack to a revolution was being formed.
At the time, a small soul-rock band was gearing up to release what would become a landmark LP for everyone involved, and a rejuvenation of an American tradition: Southern Soul music. Alabama Shakes, the trio of singer/songwriter/guitarist Brittany Howard, guitarist Heath Fogg, and bassist Zac Cockrell, released their sophomore effort, Sound & Color, on April 17, 2015. Ten years ago, there was a shift in Southern music as the band brought the purity and rootsy grooves the country needed at the time. The 12-song album is brimming with jazzy undertones, powerful funk vocals, and the smooth sounds we all need to hear occasionally.
Ten years later, Sound & Color has become more powerful and urgent. An album that became an escape for people in a turbulent time continues to be a musical escapade to a time when things made more sense. This raw, organic LP began towards the end of 2013 and took over a year to complete. While the band credits a world of influences for the album’s shape, it is clear Alabama Shakes took pieces of Southern music and whittled them down to their true essence, leaving a blank canvas for Howard to paint her uplifting, lyrical portraits. At the time, Alabama Shakes were on a relentless touring schedule, leaving the band creatively and emotionally drained. They entered the studio with no fundamental ideas, blueprints, or new songs written. Sound & Color came about through the natural chemistry of the trio, and the loose yet honed sound of the album makes this apparent.
Sound & Color amalgamates influences, experiences, and personal perspectives. For an album that jumps from the lo-fi psychedelia of “Dunes” to the over-the-top garage rock of “The Greatest,” there has to be an underlying connection. That connection is separate from Alabama Shakes’ musical influences, something they can call their own. Their interpretation of the changing world and their delicate approach to it beautifully tie this kaleidoscope of a tracklist. Hits like the passionate “Don’t Wanna Fight” still ring true and refreshing to this day, while the eerie ballad “Miss You” is the type of universal heartbreak anthem that harkens back to the South’s rule over soul music. The album closes out on a personal note from the band. “Over My Head” is a phrase we’ve all felt, but for Alabama Shakes, they used it to foreshadow the explosion the band would experience after the release of Sound & Color.
Alabama Shakes’ sophomore effort was released to wide critical acclaim and commercial praise. The LP earned the band multiple Grammy nominations at the 58th award ceremony, taking home the gold for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight.” The album was praised in outlets like Rolling Stone, which gave it four-and-a-half stars out of five, and Entertainment Weekly, which graded it with an A-. Where they got the minus from is beyond us, but it didn’t take long for any negativity towards the album to be silenced. Sound & Color debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and landed on charts around the globe, proving that this was an album for the people, by the people.
