Monday, July 23, 2018
Shannon In Nashville, Clam-Free
For the last ten years, Shannon & The Clams have been rewriting your favorite 60's pop, rock and soul tunes and churning out retro originals in typical indie fashion. It's all pleasant enough, though nothing really sticks like the real thing. But now, Miss Shannon Shaw is on her own with some major help from Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys and what she serves up on her first solo record is pretty damn good.
"Shannon In Nashville," an homage to "Dusty In Memphis" in name (almost) only, is a terrific collection of songs that really bare little resemblance to the aforementioned Dusty classic. Even the hype sticker on the album cover tries to sell this record as "smoky, blue-eyed soul," of which most of it is not. But that is okay. Instead, "Shannon In Nashville" has more in common with Dusty's pop tunes, or the swinging 60's London sound of Billie Davis with a touch of John Barry. A few tracks even bring to mind the big Owen Bradley production behind Patsy Cline.
Shannon Shaw's voice lacks the finesse of Dusty or Patsy, but it succeeds in its own right. She does pack a wallop and gives these songs some real emotion. You can't go wrong with this record, which includes some of Nashville's finest, as well as a few guest appearances from the recently departed Richard Swift and members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. Give this one a spin. It's worth the time.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
I'm sold. I don't wish she sounded more like Dusty, or Patsy. Those songs have "IT".
Very nice. Thanks for sharing!
I was expecting Black Keys with a female singer. Dan seems to have kept his production in check and not overpower the project. There are elements to his production style that I like a lot and he uses them to full advantage here. They work for the material instead of the other way around. There's really strong material and I like the quality of her voice. Sounds like she's paid her dues. Really good album. Great recommendation as usual.
If I remember correctly, you're not a big BlackKeys/Dan Auerbach fan. Neither am I but there are always pieces that caught my ear as interesting.
I think the start of the Shannon Shaw record is the production. I've listened to it a few times now and I'm really taken by the sound of the record. It's like he finally got it completely right.
@cmealha
I never minded the black keys. And I really love what Dan Auerbach did with the Dr. John album. But I really did not like what he did with the pretenders. I think you’re right, he nailed it with this record.
Didn't hear the Dr John album but was thinking of The Pretenders album as a specific example of where his production was intrusive.
Post a Comment