Boys & Girls (Alabama Shakes album)
Boys & Girls | ||||
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Studio album by Alabama Shakes | ||||
Released | April 9, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011 | |||
Studio |
The Bomb Shelter (Nashville, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:37 | |||
Label |
ATO (US) Rough Trade (UK) | |||
Producer |
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Alabama Shakes chronology | ||||
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Singles from Boys & Girls | ||||
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Boys & Girls is the debut studio album from American rock band Alabama Shakes. It was released on April 9, 2012. The album peaked at number 6 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.
The vinyl LP version of the record was pressed by United Record Pressing in Nashville, TN.
Reception
Professional ratings | |
---|---|
Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 76/100[1] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [2] |
The A.V. Club | B−[3] |
The Daily Telegraph | [4] |
The Guardian | [5] |
The Independent | [6] |
Los Angeles Times | [7] |
NME | 7/10[8] |
Pitchfork Media | 7.8/10[9] |
Rolling Stone | [10] |
Uncut | 8/10[11] |
Critical reception
The album has been well received by critics. Gavin Haynes of NME gave Boys & Girls a positive review, stating, "In many ways Boys & Girls it is as note-perfect an album as you'll hear all year, yet it's also often perfectly inert. Their new bestie Jack White flagrantly copied vast chunks of the past, but in so doing he also stripped it down and rebuilt it in his own image. Despite their obviously vast talent, still less than a year after they first read about themselves on the internet, the stellar rise and rise of Alabama Shakes possibly hasn't afforded them quite enough time to find out who they really are."[8] Los Angeles Times also gave the album a positive review stating, "The Alabama Shakes’ first album, "Boys & Girls," is an electric jolt that anyone who loves blues-based rock music should track down immediately. Consisting of three men and one young explosion named Brittany Howard on vocals and guitar, the group, which formed in northern Alabama in 2009, offers stripped down truth, minus any affectation, histrionics or irony."[7]
The album was listed at #34 on Rolling Stone's list of the top 50 albums of 2012.[12]
Commercial performance
The album debuted in the United States at number sixteen on the Billboard 200. On April 12, 2012 the album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number thirteen.[13] The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number three,[14] and also topped the inaugural Official Record Store Chart.[15] As of April 2015, the album has sold 744,000 copies in the U.S.[16]
Track listing
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Hold On" | 3:46 |
2. | "I Found You" | 2:59 |
3. | "Hang Loose" | 2:24 |
4. | "Rise to the Sun" | 3:08 |
5. | "You Ain't Alone" | 4:44 |
6. | "Goin' to the Party" | 1:45 |
7. | "Heartbreaker" | 3:47 |
8. | "Boys & Girls" | 3:25 |
9. | "Be Mine" | 4:14 |
10. | "I Ain't the Same" | 2:55 |
11. | "On Your Way" | 3:05 |
12. | "Heavy Chevy" (bonus track and on 7" vinyl) | 2:25 |
13. | "Pocket Change" (bonus track on 7" vinyl) | 2:25 |
14. | "Mama" (bonus track on 7" vinyl) | 1:34 |
- All songs written by Alabama Shakes
Personnel
Alabama Shakes:
- Brittany Howard – lead vocals, guitar, piano, percussion
- Heath Fogg – guitar, backing vocals, percussion
- Zac Cockrell – bass, backing vocals, guitar
- Steve Johnson – drums, backing vocals, percussion
Additional musicians:
- Paul Horton – Farfisa organ and Rhodes piano on "Rise to the Sun", piano and organ on "I Ain't the Same"
- Micah Hulscher – piano and organ on "I Found You" and "Hang Loose"
- Mitch Jones – organ on "Heartbreaker"
- Ben Tanner – piano and organ on "Be Mine"
Charts
Weekly charts
Chart (2012–13) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[17] | 36 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[18] | 63 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[19] | 4 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[20] | 66 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[21] | 15 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[22] | 18 |
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[23] | 7 |
French Albums (SNEP)[24] | 62 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[25] | 59 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[13] | 5 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[26] | 34 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[27] | 87 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[28] | 34 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[29] | 48 |
UK Albums (OCC)[14] | 3 |
UK Official Record Store Chart (OCC)[15] | 1 |
US Billboard 200[30] | 6 |
US Rock Albums (Billboard)[30] | 3 |
US Alternative Albums (Billboard)[30] | 2 |
Year-end charts
Chart (2012) | Position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums Chart (Flanders)[31] | 49 |
Dutch Albums Chart[32] | 83 |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/Sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Gold | 40,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[34] | Gold | 128,266[35] |
United States (RIAA)[36] | Gold | 500,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |
Release history
Country | Release date | Format | Label |
---|---|---|---|
United States | 3 April 2012[37] | Download | ATO Records |
United Kingdom | 6 April 2012[38] | Rough Trade Records | |
9 April 2012[39] | CD | ||
United States | 10 April 2012[40] | ATO Records |
References
- ↑ "Reviews for Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes". Metacritic. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Boys & Girls – Alabama Shakes". AllMusic. Retrieved January 31, 2013.
- ↑ Greenwald, David (April 10, 2012). "Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ↑ Brown, Helen (April 5, 2012). "Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ↑ Petridis, Alexis (April 5, 2012). "Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls – review". The Guardian. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ↑ Gill, Andy (April 11, 2012). "Album: Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls (Rough Trade)". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 20, 2012. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- 1 2 Roberts, Randall (April 10, 2012). "Album review: The Alabama Shakes' 'Boys & Girls'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- 1 2 Haynes, Gavin (April 5, 2012). "Alabama Shakes – 'Boys & Girls'". NME. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
- ↑ Maddux, Rachael (April 9, 2012). "Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved October 2, 2012.
- ↑ Dolan, Jon (April 10, 2012). "Boys & Girls". Rolling Stone. Retrieved June 24, 2013.
- ↑ "Alabama Shakes: Boys & Girls". Uncut (180): 73. May 2012.
- ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2012: Alabama Shakes, 'Boys Girls'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
- 1 2 "Irish Albums Chart > Archive > Week Ending: April 12, 2012". GFK.
- 1 2 "Archive Chart". UK Albums Chart. The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
- 1 2 Kreisler, Laura (20 April 2012). "Official Record Store Chart Top 40 unveiled!". London: Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 April 2012.
- ↑ Keith Claufield (April 29, 2015). "Alabama Shakes Scores Its First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. (Prometheus Global Media). Retrieved April 29, 2015.
- ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls" (in German). Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Ultratop.be – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls" (in French). Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Alabama Shakes – Chart history" Billboard Canadian Albums Chart for Alabama Shakes.
- ↑ "Danishcharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Lescharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Officialcharts.de – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". GfK Entertainment Charts.
- ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Hung Medien.
- 1 2 3 Boys & Girls - Alabama Shakes | Billboard.com
- ↑ "Ultratop Belgian Charts". ultratop.be. 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
- ↑ Steffen Hung. "Dutch charts portal". dutchcharts.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2013-06-25.
- ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Music Canada.
- ↑ "British album certifications – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Boys & Girls in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select album in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
- ↑ "Official Charts Analysis Josh Groban Scores first No 1 with 20,092 sales". Retrieved 1 March 2016.
- ↑ "American album certifications – Alabama Shakes – Boys & Girls". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
- ↑ iTunes - Music - Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes Archived November 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine.. US
- ↑ iTunes - Music - Boys & Girls by Alabama Shakes. UK
- ↑ "Boys & Girls: Alabama Shakes: Amazon.co.uk: Music". Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
- ↑ Boys & Girls. "Boys & Girls: Alabama Shakes: Music". Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012.