Bassist and singer Shannon Shaw, who also plays in the band Hunx And His Punx, met guitarist Cody Blanchard while they were training at an art school in San Francisco. They were joined by Will Sprott on keyboards and Nate Mahan on drums. They have been active since 2007, and their first album dates from 2009. The energy of their live performances and the quality of their first albums have won them Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys as a fan. Auerbach has enabled them to tour Australia and, more importantly, has produced their last three albums, including this one.
Carrying Shannon’s magnificent voice high like a banner, they revive the Rock & Roll and American Garage Rock of the 50s and 60s on the one hand. On the other, it’s the music of the Girls Bands of the same era, with a nod to Motown and Phil Spector. They add a hint of punk energy to some of the tracks, but that doesn’t stop them from throwing in a few ballads that are a little more languorous but just as inspired. It’s incredible to see how the band were able to transcend the personal tragedy of the singer losing her fiancé a few weeks before their wedding.
Produced by Dan Auerbach, a lover of analogue, this record, although in a different style, is in the same sonic family as the Black Keys’ albums. In other words, an aesthetic that knows how to remain modern but favours a certain warmth and complicity between the musicians. They take pleasure in playing together, and it’s infectious: it’s hard not to get your foot tapping when the tracks lend themselves to it. And when they slow down, it’s just as hard not to be moved by the emotion in the singer’s voice. An album you can dive into with your eyes closed.