Song(s) of the Day # 3,644 Brittany Howard

 

I like Fridays. For obvous reasons. The same reasons why everybody likes Fridays. But more than that.It's Record Release Day. Almost like Christmas. It sounds glib but it's a genuine opportunity to unwrap new gifts..

I went to Brittany Howard's latest first yesterday. I liked Alabama Shakes and there's been stuff on her previous records that leapt out  at me in a good way. But I must say I find her new album What Now a very odd proposition indeed. It's a weird one and no mistake.

It screams SOUL at you from start to finish. More than that Hippie Soul. From the slightly startling cover with Brittany collapsed in a verdant field in a huge floppy multicoloured dress in thin shades. Her afro unkempt and looking like it could do with theimmediate attention of a stiff wire brush.

Frankly she looks like she's been dumped on the side of the highway in the middle of a mescaline trip on the Magic Trip by the Merry Pranksters because she was frightening them all so much. The one thing she doesn't look is happy. She looks like she needs the urgent attention of a paramedic frankly.

Then you listen to the record. It's even odder than the record sleeve. There aren't many songs here actually. It's just a series of wild Hippie Soul gestures and exhortations. A series of whoops and shrieks of the kind you associate most immediately with Prince or Sly & The Family Stone records. Ir else people enjoying making love.

But there they're things to genuinely celebrate and immerse yourself in. Because they're in service to the greater picture and are essential components of quite mindblowing celebratory tracks and albums.Of Experences. Not the case with What Now at all.  Here they're just spare parts. If this is an IKEA assemble yourself rainbow, good luck trying to put it together.

It just doesn't work I'm afraid. If I'm missing some tracks that work I apologise. I've been blinded by too many on my first couple of plays that quite obviously don't in any way. Sorry Brittany, my advice would be, come down from your trip and start again from scratch.