Alabama Shakes combines the grittiness of blues, the soulfulness of gospel, and the all-around good time of rock and roll and pulls out their debut album, “Boys & Girls.” The four piece band from Athens, Alabama is bringing back muddy, bluesy music that would have been cool 40 years ago.

The lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the group, Brittany Howard, obviously spent some time singing for her church choir as she belts her confessional lyrics until your soul is melted. Other members Heath Fogg, Zac Cockrell, and Steve Johnson keep up with riffs derived from the times of Zeppelin and AC/DC.

The best track on the album, “You Ain’t Alone,” boasts a bleeding vocal solo that rushes out of Howard and fills ears with the dismay she must have felt. However, the album does show a lack of central focus amongst the band. Each track is too different from the next almost showing they have not yet figured out what kind of band they want to be.

“Boys & Girls” is definitely worth a couple listens. Look for Alabama Shakes at Lollapalooza and on tour with Jack White.