''Clumsy'' is an album by the American band

Samiam Samiam (pronounced "sam-I-am") is an American punk rock band from Berkeley, California, active since 1988. History Samiam was formed in late 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy. Their first show was in January 1989 wit ...

, released in 1994 on

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

. The band had been the subject of a bidding war, following the early 1994 success of

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

; it was Samiam's first album for a major label. ''Clumsys first single was "Capsized". The band promoted the album by opening for

Bad Religion Bad Religion is an American punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1980. The band's lyrics cover topics related to religion, politics, society, the media and science. Musically, they are noted for their melodic sensibilitie ...

on the '' Stranger Than Fiction'' tour. ''Clumsy'' sold around 13,000 copies in its first six months of release.

Production

The album was produced by

Lou Giordano Lou Giordano (born c. 1957) is a record producer and recording engineer who co-founded Radiobeat Studios. He worked at Fort Apache Studios when it was located in Boston, and was a partner in the production company Prodco, which had close ties with ...

Critical reception

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' thought that "if not bursting with originality, such tunes as 'As We're Told' and 'Bad Day' are nonetheless appealingly energetic and melodic." ''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'' determined that "Samiam favors a thick power-chord attack that supports lithe, wrenching and surprisingly melancholy vocals ... The result is music that wallops and cries at the same time." ''

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

'' concluded: "No problems here with their Westerberg Jr. angst nor their rock ambitions, but if '94 is the year punk 'broke,' '95 is the year it will be broken." ''

The Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with he ...

'' stated that ''Clumsy'' "flows between

hard-core punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier p ...

and hippie

grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock genre and subculture that emerged during the in the American Pacific Northwest state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of p ...

with lyrics telling of childhood pain and misery."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that "'As We're Told' and 'Bad Day' swell with monstrous punk hooks; meanwhile, two slower numbers, 'Tag Along' and 'Cradle' are, respectively, dreamy and angry enough while still retaining can't-miss melodicism."

Track listing

Personnel

*Jason Beebout - vocals *James Brogan - guitar *

Victor Indrizzo Victor Indrizzo (born September 23, 1967) is an American session musician, primarily known for playing the drums, as well as a songwriter and producer. Indrizzo was born in Freeport, Long Island, New York. He has toured, recorded and worked wi ...

- drums *Sergie Loobkoff - guitar *Aaron Rubin - bass

References

{{Authority control 1994 albums Samiam albums Atlantic Records albums Albums produced by Lou Giordano