As frontwoman of Alabama Shakes, Brittany Howard has never entirely convinced. Granted, her vocals, by turns rasping and window pane-bothering, are a force of nature and her bluesy melancholy undoubtedly originates from a genuine place. But such formal prowess feels wasted when paired with the band’s blowsy roots rock – a suite of workaday anthems which suggest the zenith of their ambitions is to be the world’s most bad ass bar band.
Released quietly and without warning, Howard’s Thunderbitch side project sets out to right these manifold wrongs. This is made clear by the project’s name – you don’t christen your new music persona “Thunderbitch” and not have a point to make. Musically, too, she is locking, loading and taking aim: ‘Eastside Party’ marries Jesus and Mary Chain reverb with molten Motown swagger; ‘My Baby Is My Guitar’ channels White Stripes through an echo-chamber of fem-pop empowerment.
The real giveaway as to Howard’s state of mind, though, is closer ‘Let Me Do What I Do Best’, a free- wheeling roots lament that rejects the heritage rock punch-pulling of Alabama Shakes. Here Howard is angry, determined, barely in control. Letting her guard down suits her – if only she did it more often with her day job.