Happy quarantine day (???)
Are we still pretending to be adults who know what day it is or can we drop that now? Lol.
What a strange start we've gotten into with the new decade! I can't help but laugh when I think of the 1st of January. All the plans I was making and 2020 really said 'Girl how about you stay your little self at home?' Ha.
Helpfully, music has always been one of my greatest forms of escapism. No matter where I am, once I have my headphones on I have my own personal time machine. California 2003 ?- no problem, Italy trip 2009 - absolutely, Year 7 drama block?- why not. The opportunities are endless, and not just for reopening nostalgic memories from the past few years but for travelling between worlds.
If you're a real music lover, you'll understand when I say this. Music is like my drug, it's transcendental. You get lost in the rhythm, in the harmonies, in the chords and the reverb. You lose your sense of location, situation and identity and nothing matters except the sounds you're hearing- the energy given by the artist, the moods, the themes and often the lyrics. Everything you see is from their perspective. You feel their love, their joy, their anguish, their fury until the song is over.
Alabama Shakes is that band for me. The lead singer Brittany Howard has an extraordinary way of conveying the emotion of the song so convincingly you feel like it's you going through it. The Alabama-born group consists of guitarist Heath Fogg, bass player Zac Cockrell, drummer Steve Johnson and of course lead guitarist and singer Brittany. I discovered this band in 2016 when I was doing my A-levels. Sadly as of last year they've decided to take a break and pursue solo projects for now so it might be a while before you get to see them live. [ Side note: is it a coincidence that's when things started going a bit left?] However their music is still available to stream on all platforms and it's definitely worth exploring their discography.
Like many, the first song that attracted me to them is called 'Sound and Color' which featured in an Apple advert. The song is futuristic, lyrically simple made of only one verse and no chorus. Instrumentally it's stripped down to something that sounds like a xylophone, piano and drums lightly featuring lead and bass guitars whilst all mostly playing on a 4-beat. This represents the isolation and unique beauty of the concept of the song which imagines an astronaut has gone off course and wakes up 500 years later to find earth has disappeared and solely he exists on a new undiscovered planet.
Alabama Shakes' music not only transports me through time but between worlds and galaxies that otherwise can't exist. The unison and bond between all of the band is their best strength. You can hear how perfectly timed they all are to each other and the understanding they all have of every element of their instrument and how they relate to each other in tying the whole project which is the song together. Fogg on the guitar especially... incredible. I would say you could definitely hear inspiration from Jimi Hendrix, Prince, Tina Turner and Aretha in their style as a band.
If you want to travel from home during this global pandemic I recommend listening to Alabama Shakes, you won't regret it!!
As always, sending my love to anyone who takes the time to read this. Stay at home, stay safe and healthy, make sure you're looking after yourself and each other- and if you liked this, please share.
Until next time,
M x
