Brittany Howard – ‘What Now’ review: thrillingly expansive and vibrant

When Alabama Shakes made their incendiary arrival with 2012’s ‘Boys & Girls’, Brittany Howard’s voice was quickly anointed as a head-turner. Breakout single ‘Hold On’ – which landed them a Grammy nom for Best New Artist – saw Howard’s voice slide between a gentle purr to a tortured howl; her authenticity as an performer or songwriter could never be questioned – how else to conjure such raw emotion and magic?

A decade on, Howard’s reputation will only have strengthened. When Alabama Shakes went on hiatus in 2018 – two years after their critically acclaimed second album ‘Sound & Color’ – Howard focused on her solo career. 2019’s ‘Jaime’ was dedicated to her late sister of the same name, who died as a teenager. While she pushed into new spaces – spoken-word, cosmic-jazz and heavy-rock on ‘13th Century Metal’ alone – it was the bluesy-rock approach on ‘Stay High’ that grounded her songs and purpose.

Thrillingly, her second solo record ‘What Now’ embraces any and all sonic possibilities and challenges with glee. It’s the type of intent that’s been simmering in Howard’s work previously and now steps into space with confidence to be heard: everything from psych-jazz, electro-funk, soulful house and the occasional rocker gets a look in here. In lesser hands it’s a right old mess, but not in Howard’s.

‘Another Day’ and ‘Prove It To You’ stand above the rest of the material. On the former, Howard beams over a skittering late-night beat that she’s “having the time of my life”, while ‘Prove It To You’ heartily embraces a four-to-the-floor beat and Howard’s pop songwriting chops. The title track, a fuzzed-up relative of Alabama Shakes’ ‘Don’t Wanna Fight’, is similarly effusive, as is the funk-rock fusion of ’Power To Undo’’s chorus.

It all works because of Howard’s conviction in her vocal capabilities; seriously, she could read the phonebook at the end of this album and keep you hanging on. On slow-burning opener ‘Earth Sign’, Howard sings of a new opportunity as this album rises into view, like the moon’s crescent on a clear blue sky: “I’ve been making plans that don’t include you anymore / My heart wants to stay but I don’t know what for”.

‘What Now’ is informed by emotional malaise and confusion, but if anyone has the answers on how to navigate our own journeys, you’d do well to turn to Howard.

Details

Release date: February 9, 2024
Record label: Island

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