Hi everyone, Sleepthony Timetano here, the internet's busiest music nerd, and it is time for this new review of an Alabama Shakes album, I Must Be Dreaming.

Back after a 10-year-plus gap in studio albums, Alabama Shakes, the rock soul outfit, have returned with their third record. One of my most anticipated albums of this year, not just because of the lengthy break the band had taken, but I've also been enjoying the direction that frontwoman Brittany Howard's solo work has been taking in recent years, backing her incredible vocals and guitar work with a lot of textured, sometimes experimental, sometimes psychedelic production. And I wondered if any of that would seep into this new Alabama Shakes album here, but I was mostly curious as to what was bringing on this reunion in the first place.

'Cause if you remember, the band surprisingly hit it big back in the early 2010s through breakout singles like "Hold On," then speedily dropped two records in 2012 and 2015, both of which did pretty well. Even won some Grammys too, but then slowly drifted off the map due to, I guess, the stresses of touring and band dynamics.

I mean, keep in mind, this was a lot of acclaim and attention and demand for such a young band to receive so early on. And believe it or not, this comeback is, at least in part, being inspired by a favor to a close friend. Cause I guess a close tie to the band asked Brittany Howard if she'd be down to perform at a fundraiser for his brewery. She asked her fellow Alabama Shakes members if they wanted to get in on the action. They did; they performed, and I guess the momentum built up from there.

But despite the casual circumstances that kind of kicked things off once again, the band actually sounds pretty locked in from the sound of the teasers that led up to this album dropping.

There was "Another Life," a 2025 single, which is handily one of the most fiery anthems the band has ever laid to tape. The track has a soaring chorus, and Brittany Howard's vocal performance really puts her longing and desperation on full display, as she swallows her pride to ask, can we start again, after having already said goodbye. And there's a killer key change on the back end of this track, too.

There was also "Garden," a smooth, lavishly arranged ballad where lyrically Brittany Howard is pretty much playing Mrs. steal your girl, promising to do pretty much anything this other person won't, with inflections and sensual vocal runs that kind of remind me of a young Al Green at points.

There was "I Feel Hope Coming" too, which was a boldly politically charged number, despite its dreamy production and relaxed grooves. It's a track that's all about maintaining hope and the will to fight under martial law or during disorienting times socially. And there are definitely some echoes of albums like What's Going On running through the DNA of this track, too.

And I would be remiss if I did not mention the track "American Dream," which features a lot of similar themes, too, of disillusionment with the American Promise, laid out with gloomy grooves and echo-drenched vocals; it's got a very haunting and trippy finish. Which, of course, plays into the title of this album as well. There are themes of dreaming all over this thing. Whether Brittany is describing an idyllic love or romance that feels like a dream, or being in a state of disbelief over current events, like you're living through not just a dream but a nightmare.

So yeah, there are different ways you can frame it, and as a result of that, there's a lot of potential to dig into there. Unfortunately, though, as impressive as the singles were, I found the deeper cuts on I Must Be Dreaming to be a bit more of a mixed bag.

From the jump, for example, the tight Meters-esque bass and drum grooves on "Tea Time" grabbed my attention, but the track is also laced with some of the most forgettable vocal lines from Brittany on the album, and has a kind of one-dimensional song structure, too.

With "Time," there is better songwriting at play, for sure, but it also feels more typical in terms of the band embracing their classic soul influences and not doing anything all that novel or interesting with them. And the wild rock jam that pops in at the end of the track more or less peters out without too much of an impression.

"Friends" is a lo-fi acoustic rocker that's all about ending a friendship over trust issues. The performance and the pacing are a little loose, and there's kind of an off-kilter charm to the whole thing. It's almost like the Alabama Shakes giving us their take on a Strokes song. It brings versatility to the tracklist, but not much else

"Easy" has elements that I like for sure. The trippy, droning layers of vocals, guitar, and whatever else is kind of layered into this endless wall of soulful sound. The track swells up and builds up slowly like a Jefferson Airplane piece, and is subtly eerie at points, too. And it's a lot of interesting linear architecture for a piece of songwriting that honestly is not all that memorable. The sensation and the building dynamics of the track leave more of an impression.

"How Love's Supposed to Go," though, is a very solid and bright and bold piece of psych rock and soul fusion. And to me, it's one of the few songs outside of the singles that really checks all the boxes. Great rhythm section, song structure for days, and choruses that actually stick with me. The production and the performance are bright and noisy, and there's something kind of unnerving about these shouty vocal harmonies that remind me of a Flaming Lips song or two.

"Waist Deep" I enjoyed quite a bit as well, even if it is kind of a mid-paced piano rocker that rides along a linear groove that gives Brittany Howard a lot of space to introspect on life's struggles and kind of taking your pain and anguish out on others, given what life is throwing at you. There's not a lot of resolution here in the lyrics, but there is quite a bit of catharsis with the finish.

And the closing track "Tied To You" does have its moments for sure, like any other song here, but it's kind of an unceremonious statement given its placement in the track list and makes the whole record kind of feel like it's slowing down to a very underwhelming close.

So yeah, unfortunately, as excited as I was for the return of Alabama Shakes, and I thought the teaser tracks just showed a whole lot of promise, the remaining material deeper into the project just was not nearly as impressive. But maybe this is what happens when you're just starting to get your footing back after such a long hiatus as a band. If the Shakes circle back around with a fourth record, of course, I'm going to give it a spin and see where they're able to go from here. Which is why I'm feeling a strong six to a light seven on this one.

Anthony Fantano. Alabama Shakes. Forever.