Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk (2011)

Jazzed as all fuck when I caught sight of this album on the Aggregatibacter blog. Even though it is posted up there, I feel compelled to do so over here as well, if simple to stress its majesty. Shannon and the Clams' first album I Wanna Go Home was a wonderful bunch of lo-fi garage punk tracks with deep soulful vocals. Sleep Talk takes that base and works a considerable degree of nostalgia and retro-vibes so as to make the band very Spector-esque or to cite a more modern comparison, very much like the King Khan & BBQ Show. Howling, shouting and crooning are all given a place in the hectic and brassy songs. Where the similarities to something Mark Sultan might record is strongest are in the slower numbers such as "The Woodsman" and "Done With You" which feature an intense throwback style. The softer trilling songs are paired with heavier, distortion-laden retro punk tracks to ensure a fast-paced listen, making the album feel much shorter than it is in reality. This is really topnotch and even though it is well-trodden ground, Shannon and the Clams keep it fresh, lively and most importantly irresistibly appealing.

To be had here:
Shannon and the Clams - Sleep Talk [192 VBR kbps]