09/12/19 'Jaime' by Brittany Howard

Alabama Shakes’ lead singer Brittany Howard undeniably exudes a certain charisma in her music. She is somehow simultaneously energetic, consoling and harrowing all at the same time. ‘Jaime’ is Howard’s first album since embarking on her solo career and it encapsulates the pain of losing a sibling so young (named after her late sister ‘Jaime’) whilst also being so unmistakably ‘Howard’ in the way that it carries her contagious joy and passion for her own music. As a performer she is nothing less than captivating in the way that she completely vibes with her own deliberately articulated rhythms and melodies (many of which she came up with on her broken but treasured guitar). Part of the reason why I find ‘Jaime’ so extraordinary is that Howard has such a depth of knowledge around how to make music and construct sound, that she makes it seem almost spontaneous - despite the careful melodious configuration - because it comes from a place of pure passion.