Alabama Shakes: Don’t Wanna Fight

Not 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.