Released only a year after her band Alabama Shakes were placed on the shelf, Brittany Howard’s solo bow ‘Jaime’ was a rich, enticing mix of sentimental genre fusions, heavy-hitting songwriting and an unwavering sense of confidence. Remarkably, ‘What Now’ is an improvement on all fronts.
On one hand it offers a refinement of her craft, but it’s also a more complex journey into storytelling and a galactic exploration of new sounds and old influences. It’s about being in love and the trouble that brings — conflict, dwindling trust, resentment, feeling stuck, breaking up — and as it unravels Howard’s cutthroat admissions and heart-stopping honesty shroud any sense of hope that glimmered at the start.
But, despite its bleakness and Howard being “all out of rainbows” (Every Color In Blue), ‘What Now’ is full of colour.
Contrasting sounds range from blistering synth-laced house, on Prove It To You, to broken lo-fi jazz on Samson, where melancholy trumpets and vinyl crackle coalesce into a career highlight. “I know I’m not the person you were introduced to, and it’s getting harder not to disappoint you,” Howard sings. What a gut-punch.
You can feel the release of tension during the psychedelic title track, which is adorned with fuzzy guitar leads, chunky bass and harsh truths. “I wonder if I stay because it’s comfortable, I wonder if you’ll notice I ain’t trying,” Howard sings.
I Don’t, on the other hand, is more classically soulful — it’s pristine and gorgeous, with the finesse of Nina Simone or Marvin Gaye. A rare stumbling block comes with Another Day, a track about an equal, peaceful planet, where there's way too much going on. Even so, the sentiment is there amid some delightful Prince-esque vocal inflections.
The album ends with Every Color In Blue, which is packed full of intertwining melodies, initially wistful vocals and despair-fuelled poetry. It’s a very fitting final chapter — Howard has dragged herself through deteriorating love and reached her lowest point. Eventually, her expression is confined to pained falsetto screams.
Brittany Howard Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Tue July 02 2024 - LONDON KOKO Camden
Sat July 06 2024 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
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