Stream: Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

Alabama Shakes will release their debut LP Boys & Girls on April 10th and NPR was nice enough to post a full album stream for all us impatient folk. The Athens, Alabama foursome have been creating waves for the past two years with their soul-injected, hard-hitting rock sound, in part because vocalist Brittany Howard boasts such powerfully versatile pipes that are part Otis Redding and part Robert Plant. On Boys & Girls, the band fully explore these contrasting styles, effortlessly floating from boozy barroom blues ("Heartbreaker") to retro Motown ballads ("Hang Loose"). It's only April, but we may have an album of the year contender already.

Stream: Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls