Shannon and the Clams turn a period of family illness, loss and upheaval in Oakland’s DIY community into a sharp, dramatic set of songs. Year Of The Spider, their sixth studio album, moves between garage-rock punch, girl-group soul and baroque pop, with Shannon Shaw’s bass and huge, fraying voice at the centre. She can sound tender one moment and ready to tear through the speakers the next. “Do I Wanna Stay” opens at a slow tango pace, led by piano before the arrangement breaks open, while “All Of My Cryin’” and the title track push vocal drama against punk force.
The band’s detail work keeps the album from becoming a blunt blast of retro rock. Will Sprott’s keyboards shift from soft Rhodes tones to abrasive Wurlitzer and organ, then leave room for the halting piano and arpeggiated synths of “Godstone.” Cody Blanchard’s harmonies with Shaw have an Everly Brothers-style lock, and his songs bring swelling pop arrangements, falsetto and the hard-rock guitar attack of “Crawl.” Dan Auerbach produced the record, which was mixed at Easy Eye Sound Studios. “Vanishing” closes with a slinky Motown feel and a direct address to Shaw’s father. Fans of garage rock, doo-wop, soul and dramatic ’60s pop will find plenty here, with paid downloads available in FLAC, ALAC, WAV and AIFF alongside vinyl, CD and cassette.
