Sleep Talk

iTunes Editors’ Notes

Not only is Shannon Shaw a force to be reckoned with on the bass, but her big and bold vocals give her music the muscle it needs to stand out.  Shaw’s contributions to Hunx & His Punx’ girl-group-gone-punk are critical, but with her own band — and with guitarist/songwriter Cody Blanchard at her side — the Clams make it clear that Shaw has her eyes on the prize. Sleep Talk is a leap from the band’s 2009 debut, working ‘50s doo-wop seamlessly into Phil Spector pop, pop into soul, and soul into rockabilly and punk. The simple, reverb-drenched guitar/drums/bass (and glittering tambourine) instrumentation provides the perfect musical vehicle for Shaw’s delightful vocals; she hiccups and croons on “You Will Always Bring Me Flowers” and “Done With You,” and replaces the syrupy gloss of girl group vocals with a brassier tone on the catchy “Baby Don’t Do It.” The Clams recall the rockabilly-pop hybrid sound of Del Shannon on tracks like “Oh Louie,” and evoke the garage grit of the legendary Mummies on songs like the raucous “King of the Sea” and “Toxic Revenge.” Rave on, Shannon and the Clams!