by Alice Zakusilo (@GhostyShibe)
Based in Oakland, California, indie garage punk quartet Shannon And The Clams create music unlike anything else. Composed of Shannon Shaw on the bass guitar as well as vocals, Cody Blancard on guitar, Will Sprott on the keyboard, and Nate Mahan on the drums, they have been making music since 2007. The quartet’s ability to blend such a wide variety of genres, like surf rock, classic doo-wop, psych rock, and even R&B makes the latest album, The Moon Is In The Wrong Place, a truly exceptional piece of work. The maturation of their sound is especially prevalent, with this being their seventh studio album, as well as their third LP with producer and frontman of the Black Keys, Dan Auerbach.
Shannon and the Clams pull from the past to create music that's revolutionary and different, the vintage twinge reminiscent of many 60s girl groups, and an almost rockabilly sound while still allowing it to feel fresh and new. It feels like stepping into the past, yet it still incredibly innovative, a time capsule and love letter to the 60s sound, to the classic rock influences that are prevalent. There's this emotionally raw complement to it all, delving deep into feelings of love, loss, sorrow, pain, and finding the courage to continue despite tragedy.
The Moon Is In The Wrong Place was created in the aftershock of a terrible loss, as frontwoman Shannon Shaw’s fiance, Joe Haener, died in a tragic car accident just a few weeks before their wedding, a loss that impacted Shaw deeply, as well as the rest of her bandmates. The name of the album itself comes from something Haener said shortly before his accident. These themes of grief, and needing to deal with the sorrow of losing a lover are prominent throughout this album, especially prevalent within opening track, “The Vow,” which was originally written by Shaw to be a wedding day surprise for her fiance, a testament to their love. The album was created using unfinished demos that the band had worked on previously, as they came together during such a difficult time. United after such a terrible loss, they were able to create an utterly gorgeous album, creating one of their most creative, introspective, and emotional records to date.
“The Vow” is a gorgeous serenade detailing how deep her love for her fiance went. She described how the chords were some of the first chords that he had taught her when they had first started dating. This song is overflowing with love and joy, a true celebration of their time together and her utter adoration for him. Shaw has described after the accident how she hated that her fiance would never get to hear the song that she had written for him. Sharing such a deep and intimate moment with the world, a memento of what could've been, makes this hopeful song have such an utterly tragic story behind it. “The Vow” is a celebration of Shaw’s love for Haener, something that was meant to be a gift just to him, and for an album that serves essentially as a celebration of their relationship, makes it an extremely impactful opening.
“Bean Fields,” named after the bean fields on Haener’s family farm talks about dealing with loss, but remaining hopeful even in the darkest of times. It's a song that's light, airy, fun, upbeat, and catchy with a wonderful rockabilly kind of groove to it. The track reminisces on their old memories and finding joy in some of the hardest moments in life, talking about going back to the wonderful memories that they shared, the nostalgia of it all, and being able to move on after losing someone so important to her, showing that one can still hold onto those wonderful memories and continue living. Shaw sings “I heard I must keep living / I know you'd want me to / so let's live this life to pieces / dedicate each day to you“.
Amidst a sea of tragedy, this song is hopeful, even when losing one of the most important people in her life, she can find the strength to keep on living, and to find joy within it all. Shaw describes how this accident made the beauty of the world stand out so much more. The simple things in her life, like sitting in those very bean fields with family, and talking about Haener, watching those flowers bloom and the meteor showers that would often happen about the farm. To take a moment and smell the roses in life.
This album is reminiscent of a bittersweet love letter, dripping with the nostalgia of happy memories, and melancholic longing for what once was. It’s an album that can dip into grief and sorrow from losing someone so dear, into a celebration of what once was, the joy in old memories, and finding the courage to move on despite the pain. It's a powerful testament to being able to live with the pain that once was yet still showcases an emotional vulnerability to the world at large. It's such a powerful album in the way it does not flinch away from pain, it embraces it and blooms forward into something gorgeous, a wonderful flower blossoming in the hardest of times.