Brittany Howard, Jaime | Album Review 💿

Brittany Howard, best known as the front woman of Alabama Shakes, impresses on her eclectic, reflective debut solo album, Jaime.

Brittany Howard is best known as the front woman of the Grammy-winning, alternative collective, Alabama Shakes.  That said, the Alabaman musician also fronts the not-so-subtly-named rock band, Thunderbitch (has a ring to it, doesn’t it?).  In 2019, Howards goes solo, releasing her brief, but eclectic, 11-track debut album, Jaime.  Jaime is named after her late sister, but according to an interview, “The record is not about her… it’s about me.” Safe to say, Jaime encompasses a little bit of everything, and while it’s also a bit ‘all over the place,’ it’s quite a brilliant, distinct listen, clearly separating Howard from her endeavors with Alabama Shakes and Thunderbitch.

“History Repeats”

“History repeats and we defeat ourselves / Come on everybody, one more time again.” Brittany Howard kicks off Jaime exceptionally with ✓ “History Repeats,” a record, she told Apple Music, “Is the oldest on the album,” and added she “totally forgot about it.”  “History Repeats” is quite funky, successfully fusing alternative rock, neo- and retro soul.  The song isn’t written linearly, with the aforementioned titular line appearing essentially as the extended outro – or extended chorus that happens to be at the end, if you’re into labels.

✓ “He Loves Me” follows, keeping the duration short as it just creeps past the two-and-a-half-minute mark.  Even so, the record is telling, as Howard confesses her absence from church, yet has faith that God still loves her.  Notably, there is dialogue that appears throughout the song, courtesy of a pastor.  As cool as that dialogue is, it’s the chorus that is crème de la crème – the centerpiece:

“I know the still loves me when
I’m smoking blunts
Loves me when I’m drinking too much
He loves me then, yeah
He loves me when I do what I want
He loves me, he doesn’t judge me
Yes, he loves me.”

On ✓ “Georgia,” Howard sings on the chorus, “I just want Georgia to notice me…” On Georgia, she sings about her attraction to/crush on Georgia, a lady, of course.  She confirms this on the verses, as she opens up about her sexuality essentially.  On the first verse, she sings, “Georgia, see you don’t know it, but / I’m afraid to tell you how I really feel.”  On the second verse, she adds, “And I can’t help the way that I was born to be / I ain’t no little boy.” Then there’s the bridge, where Howard asks, “Is it unnatural? / Georgia, is it cool? / I wanna tell you that I love you…” This is a socially relevant record where Howard’s honestly about her sexuality is much appreciated and quite respectable.

“Stay High” 

The most commercial song from Jaime arrives as the fourth track, the superb ✓ “Stay High.” Don’t let the fact that “Stay High” can be characterized contextually as ‘commercial’ dissuade you.  It is a record that’s infused with ample soul, hearkening back to the incredible neo-soul era, while also maintaining that alternative rock sensibility and vibe, much like the opener, “History Repeats.”  The music is delightful, while Brittany Howard’s vocal performance is simply incredible.  Another pro is how positive the vibe of the record is.

“Tomorrow” honestly has a hard act to follow – technically four difficult acts.  It’s an interesting record, with some high-flying vocals and ad-libs, as well as some embracing experimental and innovative spirit.

Even so, the jazzy, ✓ “Short and Sweet” supplants it, finding Brittany Howard delivering a truly intimate vocal.  “Short and Sweet” could almost pass as a modern torch song. Towards the end, specifically the third verse, she pushes her voice dynamically, making the listener truly feel the emotions.  ✓ “13^th Century Metal” is nothing short of wild, characterized by its loud, rhythmic backdrop, and a unique spoken word performance by Howard.  This is another socially conscious moment from Jaime, tapping into religion (“I promise to love my enemy / And never become that which is not God”) and also politics (“I am dedicated to oppose those whose will is to divide us / And who are determined to keep us in the dark ages of fear”).  Focused on unity, on this quirky but ambitious joint, two key phrases are “We are all brothers and sisters,” and “Give it to love.” “Give it to love” is actually sung by background vocalists.

“Baby” 

From a socially conscious anthem, Brittany Howard shifts gears once more on “Baby,” a much more accessible moment.  Essentially, on this throwback soul cut, Howard sings the blues about a former flame.  “I tried to do everything you asked me to,” she sings, continuing, “I never thought you ever would ask me to leave, baby.” Literally ‘short and sweet,’ “Goat Head” follows, once more diving into socially conscious terrain.  Here, Howard sings about being biracial, interracial relationships, and the racism that comes along with it, particularly in the south:

“My mama was brave
To take me outside
‘Cause mama is white
And daddy is black
When I first got made
Guess I made these folks mad…”

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as Howard cites a particular incident (that’s where that ‘goat head’ comes into play), and cleverly references the Three-Fifths Compromise (“I’m one drop of three-fifths, right?”).  On “Baby,” Brittany Howard was blue.  That’s not the case on “Presence.” “Presence” finds Howard dedicated to her partner (her wife, Jesse Lafser).  There’s no concept, just straight up, L-O-V-E.  She says it best: “You make me feel like I’m a little kid / … You make me feel so black and alive.”  Love is the focus of “Run to Me,” where Howard’s love seems to be there for the taking, whether or not her partner at the time embraced it.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, Jaime is quite the eclectic, reflective solo album from Brittany Howard. After listening, if one were to go into the album actually thinking there was a concept that centered on Jaime, you’d be totally surprised after listening.  The concept is that there is no concept.  As Howard asserted, Jaime is about her, and she does a magnificent job of sharing her emotions, philosophical take on life, and it’s quite relatable.  Furthermore, Jaime does have some commercial moments that balance out ambitious records like “13^th Century Metal.”  Easily, this is one of the best albums of 2019.  A modest no. 13 bow on the Billboard 200 seems to sell this effort quite short.

✓ Gems: “History Repeats,” “He Loves Me,” “Georgia,” “Stay High,” “Short and Sweet” & “13^th Century Metal”

Brittany Howard • Jaime • Brittany Howard / ATO • Release: 9.20.19

Photo Credits: Brittany Howard / ATO