Brittany Howard - What Now

The hippest meditation you might ever do!

Buy Digital | Buy Physical | Stream

I don’t think Brittany Howard’s latest album, "What Now," will have flown too far under the radar for many people. She has created some amazing music throughout her career so far, and it does not sound like she is slowing down!

I have really strong memories of listening to Alabama Shakes while I was at uni, one of Brittany’s more popular bands. The music sounded timeless to me, and was able to accompany my friends and me through all the highs and lows. This is music that you can party to one day and sit down and listen deeply to the next (I definitely did both!)

I hadn’t heard that the Alabama Shakes were going on hiatus in 2018. "Sound & Color" kept periodically popping up for me - in my algorithm and my mind, but I just didn’t keep an ear to the ground. When my wife Harriett started playing "What Now" when it was released this year, the nostalgia hit me pretty much immediately. Brittany’s voice is so recognisable, and SO powerful!

"What Now" has that same timeless sound to me. A generous nod to what came before, but still all so new and interesting! The build in the opening track "Earth Sign" is enough to give me goosebumps when I hear it. It is one of those fantastic pieces of music that just doesn’t stop building.

The whole album has a connecting ambient sound. I think it’s singing bowls or bells? Maybe combined with some other noise as well. They each only go for a few seconds, but it makes me lean in to check that I haven’t accidentally hit pause - more so it is a nice way to bring you back to earth and deeper into the album. Obviously I have no idea, but it feels like the whole album is a meditation on the question of "What Now?" So many of the songs feel like little snippets into her thoughts of what is next. I am, of course, speculating (and would love to have a chinwag with Brittany about it one day!) and it very well could be me just projecting, but that is what good music can do - create a space for reflection, a space that can be very personal and different for every listener!

If I had to pick a favorite track, it would be "Prove It To You." It just makes me want to move! If I am walking and listening, a fast strut definitely happens!

If you have the time, listen to the whole album from beginning to end; you won’t be disappointed! You might even have a new sense of self! After all, it is a 38-minute meditation with Brittany Howard as your phenomenal guide.

Find out more about Brittany Howard here