Boys & GirlsRough Trade ****

You’ve never heard a high-school band this down and dirty. Formed in Athens, Alabama while the members were still toting their schoolbooks, this quartet has Mississippi mud in their Doc Martens, Philly soul running through their veins, and a punk-rock sensibility embedded deep in their DNA. And, in Brittany Howard, they have a singer with just the right blend of passion and power in her voice, from the pitiful-me cry of Billie Holiday to the r’n’b rasp of Janis Joplin to the gentle undulations of Aretha Franklin. It’s not just a voice with backing band, however; guitarist Heath Fogg, drummer Steve Johnson and bassist Zac Cockrell deliver their blues and rock moves with the deft loucheness of early 1970s Stones and the energy of a million garage bands. And the songs are great, too. They’re over here in May – don’t miss ’em.

[ alabamashakes.comOpens in new window ]

Download Tracks:Hold On, You Ain't Alone, Heartbreaker, Be Mine