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Musician Bonnie Raitt performs in San Francisco, California.

Music critic Ann Powers joins the show to review new albums from Alabama Shakes and Bonnie Raitt.

Alabama Shakes

Alabama Shakes releases their first full-length album, "Boys & Girls." Fronted by Brittany Howard, Alabama Shakes combine genres like soul, Americana, blues, and garage rock for a sound that's reminiscent of music decades ago.

Bonnie Raitt

Raitt releases her first album in seven years, "Silpstream." The nine-time Grammy Award winner released the album with no major label support — the first time she's done so in a career that spans four decades.

"Slipstream" streaming at NPR's music website.

Guest:

Ann Powers is a music critic and correspondent for NPR.