The 300-Word Review: Alabama Shakes 'Be Mine'/'You Ain't Alone'

Finally, a “blog band” that delivers on what we read with what is real.

But then, the Alabama Shakes got Internet-famous due to incendiary live performances of their ’60s-style rock ‘n’ soul – not ironic haircuts or studio-Svengali dazzle.

So it’s logical the Shakes’ first vinyl release, the 7-inch single “Be Mine,” is a live cut. Jack White’s Third Man Records released the track, taped at the label’s Nashville facility, on Feb. 14.

After modest applause, “Be Mine” begins with mid-tempo guitar filigree. And then that voice drops in. Brittany Howard might be the most compelling blues-based singer to emerge since White and The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach made the Mississippi Delta cool again at the turn of the century.

On “Be Mine,” Howard shifts naturally from butterfly to bulldog and back. Her performance is so cathartic it’s clear she sings not because she can, but because she has to.

And while Howard is the magic, the Shakes do have chemistry. A few Jimmy Page riffs in “Be Mine” hint guitarist Heath Fogg has more to unfurl. Bassist Zach Cockrell and drummer Steve Johnson know when to keep a pocket firm and went to let it flex, and whoever decided to add Ben Tanner’s vintage keyboards to the band deserves a raise.

Lyrically, “Be Mine,” is sturdy. But if Howard weren’t singing them, with her tornadic tone and conviction, these words wouldn’t blow you away. Auerbach is often similar in this regard. Still, give me honest and soulful over pretentious and wimpy. (The B-side to “Be Mine,” “You Ain’t Alone,” is well-executed Stax balladry.)

“Be Mine” builds to double-time crescendo, with Howard exalting titular couplets as a funnel cloud of cymbals encircles her. And when the in-studio crowd applauds this time, it’s with a lot more oomph.