Shannon and the Clams

Fuzzy and minimalist, to the point you'd swear they weren't quite sure how to play their instruments, Shannon and the Clams capture the spirit of '60s garage rockers like the Trashmen and filter it through the era's oft-copied girl groups to create a throwback hybrid that's both familiar yet totally different. Fresh off her scene stealing cameos on Hunx and his Punx's Too Young to Be in Love, Shannon Shaw takes centre-stage here, showcasing her formidable pipes over some brilliantly rudimentary playing. Cody Blanchard (the Clams' sneering backing vocalist and guitarist, who co-wrote and produced the majority of the band's second album) is the perfect foil for Shaw. Together they've crafted a dozen songs that capture the spirit of the '60s one-hit wonder oddballs and torch singers, pairing it with the dark snarl of '70s punk. There's nothing here that tops the campy charm of Shaw's work as one of Seth Bogart's "Punkettes," but with Sleep Talk, she and Blanchard have created a benchmark for throwback '60s pop.