Trips

Trips is the first Samiam album in five years, and despite the hiatus -- and despite the fact that the band has been together for over 20 years -- very little has changed. Their 2011 album has a sound akin to Foo Fighters' self-titled debut and Sugar's File Under: Easy Listening, playing just like an alternative rock/punk-pop hybrid from the `90s. Like Samiam's career highlight, 1994's Clumsy, this album is a slick and refined outing, full of straightforward, sweet melodies, yearning lyrics, and energetic riffs in an upbeat tempo. Iggy Pop/Green Day producer Chris Dugan recorded Trips onto 2" tape at Green Day's personal studio Jingletown in San Francisco, California, and this "back to basics" method is a perfect fit for the traditional craftsmanship. The songs "September," "Crew of One," and "Magellan" are solid power pop songs that show that Beebout, Kennerly, Loobkoff, Bouchard, and Walker still know how to rock. Samiam may not have much new to say, but they say it well throughout Trips. ~ Jason Lymangrover