Alabama Shakes: Don’t Wanna Fight

Alabama Shakes Don't Wanna Fight No MoreNot long after we introduced the Shakes, they changed their name to Alabama Shakes, blew up in the press, and seemed eager to brush off the retro-soul label. A 2012 Zeppelin cover drove the point home further that this is a rock band, through and through, bound to subvert expectations. Well, here’s our first taste of the second record — or, as I’d like to call it, the post-breakthrough debut. On the surface it brings labelmates the Arctic Monkeys to mind a bit (dueling, stereo-panned electric guitars, etc.), but beneath that it’s simply a great band with a concrete mission statement at hand. The LP, Sound & Color, arrives in April, and it should make for another worthy introduction. Dig the new cut above.