The premise of this album is worthy of the best tearjerkers of the 1950s: singer Shannon Shaw’s future husband was killed in a car accident a few weeks before his wedding, during the writing process for the album in question. Unsurprisingly, the influence of this event is felt throughout the album. The title track, “The Moon Is In The Wrong Place,” refers directly to the event, and we open with “The Vow,” a doo-wop-inspired ballad that Shannon & The Clams have a knack for, and several lyrics evoke lost love, the beauty of this unfair life and hope, frequent themes that take on a whole new dimension here.
Under the circumstances, it’s not the most caustic album of the seven that now make up his discography. Produced by Dan Auerbach (Black Keys), The Moon is in the Wrong Place doesn’t press as hard on volume as Year of the Spider (2021), but still covers the quartet’s usual spectrum, with that little extra that has marked every album since Dreams in the Rathouse (2013). Shannon and The Clams make their mark in the high-density niche of country-tinged garage-psych-rock, with a soulful edge that makes all the difference, and without overplaying Shannon Shaw’s formidable voice.
It doesn’t stray far from expectations, but the performance and compositions are for the most part solid, with an embodied interpretation supported by a rather discreet production. The essence of the band infuses the whole, and this addition to the discography fits in perfectly, with several tracks adding to the algorithms without detonating. Special mention: “Dali’s Clock.”
