Alabama Shakes announced I Must Be Dreaming on July 10, their first album in 11 years. In a statement, singer Brittany Howard said the title “has a double meaning to it”: it could mean “I must be dreaming, because the world is so fucking crazy right now,” or “I must be dreaming, because the world is so incredibly beautiful.” Both are true at once.
That dual feeling might be the best way to describe the record itself. The band — Howard, Heath Fogg, and Zac Cockrell — recorded the follow-up to 2015’s Sound & Color after reuniting for a surprise live set in December 2024. Since then they have been touring on and off, including a run through September 2026.
11 tracks, all faithful to the Shakes’ sound
The tracklist leans into what the Shakes do best: Howard’s voice, Fogg’s guitar, Cockrell’s bottom end. Standouts so far are the lead single “I Feel Hope Coming” and the previously released “Another Life” and “American Dream.” The album closes with “Tied to You,” a ballad that could easily follow “Always Alright” in a live set if the band decides it should.
01 Tea Time 02 Another Life 03 Garden 04 I Feel Hope Coming 05 Time 06 Friends 07 Easy 08 How Love’s Supposed To Go 09 Waist Deep 10 American Dream 11 Tied To You
They are back on the road
The tour is already underway. July dates include Bilbao, Spain, and Madrid through July 11, followed by a North American leg that starts July 24 in Tacoma, Washington, touches Radio City Music Hall on September 2, and wraps September 26 in Dana Point, California. They play Tanglewood on September 5 and Ohana Festival on September 26.
“I must be dreaming, because the world is so fucking crazy right now. But I must be dreaming, because the world is so incredibly beautiful.”
Why It Matters
Alabama Shakes occupied a rare space: a band with a hit singer, a Grammy for Sound & Color, and enough credibility that their absence was felt for more than a decade. I Must Be Dreaming does not have to be monumental to matter; it only has to be good. The early singles suggest it will be.
If you have been waiting for music that is loud, emotional, and rooted in something older than TikTok, this is the summer record to watch for. For another major legacy act returning on their own terms, see our take on the Rolling Stones’ Foreign Tongues.
