The Oakland, California throwback quintet Shannon and the Clams serve up another healthy dose of songs straight from an old jukebox. With some surprises and familiar cuts.
Whenever there’s a new Clams record, it’s always expected that it’ll be lo-fi and a little rough around the edges. However, this time around there’s an added glow which shines like a brand new Cadillac. Onion is still unapologetically retro, but the group has finally recorded a fresher album.
Lead single ‘The Boy’ is classic Supremes with a super-sticky chorus and excellent backing vocals. ‘I Leave Again’ is a Spaghetti-Western thriller. There’s a dose of déjà vu on tracks like ‘Did You Love Me’ or ‘If You Could Love’ that have very familiar guitar melodies and drum patterns from past records. Others don’t expand on their lyrical content all that much and deal with similar themes of heartbreak and love.
But then there’s the closing track ‘Don’t Close Your Eyes’, a sultry ballad that shows that this band isn’t here to hopelessly reminisce about a bygone era, but are musicians trying to leave their mark.
Overall, Onion is another case that this sound can be stretched and formed into new gems.
7/10
