Alabama Shakes - I Must Be Dreaming (2026)
Brittany Howard can make almost anything sound important.
That is both the strength and the problem here.
“Tea Time” starts well. The rhythm has weight, the atmosphere is darker than expected, and for a few minutes I think Alabama Shakes may really have found a new direction.
“Another Life” confirms some of that promise.
The song has space, Howard does not over-sing, and the band sounds like a band again rather than a vehicle for one huge voice.
“Garden” is attractive too, but this is where I start noticing that the production is doing a lot of the work. I like the sound of it more than I remember the song.
“I Feel Hope Coming” is even more obvious.
Everything is warm, polished and well arranged.
Maybe too well arranged.
It has the architecture of an uplifting soul anthem, but I can hear the intention before I feel the emotion. That immediately lowers the impact for me.
“Time” is another one where atmosphere replaces momentum.
Nothing is wrong.
But not enough is happening.
“Friends” has more energy, although again I am not convinced the melody would survive without Howard’s performance.
“Easy” is probably one of the weaker tracks for me.
Smooth, elegant, competent.
Also quite forgettable.
“How Love’s Supposed to Go” is better because the rhythm has more personality and the band sounds less careful.
Then “Waist Deep” finally gives me the emotional intensity I expected much earlier.
Howard sounds genuinely vulnerable here, and the arrangement gives her enough room without trying to manufacture a huge moment around her.
That is probably my favorite.
“American Dream” is another strong one because it is less comfortable.
The slow build, darker bass movement and unsettled atmosphere suit the band much more than the glossy soul material.
“Tied to You” closes things calmly enough, but by then I feel like I have heard an album with three or four genuinely strong songs surrounded by a lot of respectable material.
And respectable is not really enough after eleven years.
The return itself is not the issue. The band still sounds good. Howard is still extraordinary. Shawn Everett’s production gives the album depth.
The issue is the songs.
Too many of them depend on performance and atmosphere to create significance.
That keeps the record firmly in the mid-60s for me.
A good comeback carried by Brittany Howard’s voice and several strong atmospheric moments, but too many songs feel safer and less memorable than the production suggests.
Genre: Psychedelic Soul
Country: US
Final Verdict: 65% (Good Album)
Yearly Ranking: 282th / 694
Highlight: I Feel Hope Coming
Made me think of:
Brittany Howard
Black Pumas
Michael Kiwanuka
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