Photo Credit: Brett Padelford
After teasers and early live performances, American rock band Alabama Shakes have officially released their first song since their last album in 2015. “Another Life,” the new track, was played last month at the band’s first concert in 7 years and officially marks an end to the decade long wait for new music from the band. A lyric video can be found on the group’s YouTube channel.
The long-awaited track features a groovy drum beat and instrumentation, with a sharp guitar eventually kicking in towards the end of the track. The track speaks about lives we have, not only the ones we do live, but all those that could have been. Brittany Howard, lead singer of Alabama Shakes, had much to say on this topic, as Pitchfork reports. “When I wrote ‘Another Life,’ I was thinking about all the lives we carry,” Howard shared in a statement. “The ones we’re living right now, the ones that slipped away because of different choices, the what ifs, the what wasn’t meant to be, the goodbyes, and the chance encounters that feel divine. This song is about those threads and how they stretch across time and space, connecting every version of who we are. It’s about letting them come together, letting them harmonize, and realizing that goodbye isn’t really goodbye. It’s more like I’ll see you later. A collective story that never stops unfolding. I’m glad we opened this door into this reality of us making music together again.”
The topic of life’s what-ifs and how goodbyes can be temporary is a pretty fitting way to ring in a long-awaited return that, for many, likely felt like it was impossible. While Alabama Shakes has yet to officially announce any further songs or albums, the group is currently on tour and considering “Another Life” was only one of the new tracks the group has debuted on these recent shows, it’s a safe bet that more is on the way.
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