By Null
I was never a fan of Samiam in the past, primarily because I was never really exposed to them. They simply fell under my radar. Years ago, SoDak, used to send me compilations that he put together. One of those CDs contained the Samiam song “Sunshine,” which is a perfect punk rock song. The lyrics were great and the music made me want to pogo out the fucking window. Around this time, I learned that several people I know loved Samiam. I picked up the album Astray, which opened with the track “Sunshine” and thought it was quite good, but it did not leave a lasting impression on me.
Over the next several years, I happened to see Samiam in concert many times with very enthusiastic friends. I thought they were a great live band and even enjoyed spending time talking with some band members after the shows. Over the years, I picked up a few more of their albums and enjoyed listening to them from time to time.
This year, Samiam released a new album Stowaway and everything changed for me. The record is an absolute barnburner. It has a wonderful emotional intensity, constant propulsion, and endless hooks. The lyrics hit me in the chest. The band still has their fairly subjective lyrical content, but something seemed different. It articulates many of my feeling about getting older, coming to terms with loss, and even the ever-present awareness of a changing global climate and the forthcoming shitstorm.
The song, “Monterey Canyon” with its repeated refrain, “I leave my body there for you / No longer resisting the tide / And as I float away, I wonder why / I’m not afraid to say goodbye,” made me want to openly weep while at the same time jumping around my living room rockin’ the fuck out. I read in the album credits that a few members of the band had lost their fathers. This made me wonder if “Monterey Canyon” is about a father finally giving up his battle to live and finally letting go, or if it is the son that finally embraces his loving detachment to a cruel world and lets his father go. Either way, the same lesson is learned. One must just try to enjoy each day. Life is for the living, who one day will have to also let go. It seems that as I age, I experience the things I love slowly drifting away from me. It is the way of the world, and it is somehow condensed into these two minutes and forty-three seconds. This song is filled with exuberance and life, while the lyrics are a mediation on losing it. Brilliant.
The whole album seems to convey this feeling—from beginning to end.
Likewise, “Natural Disasters” places one’s daily life and circumstances in the midst of global climate change. The song’s chorus is about being stranded with the narrator, simple enough, but the verses describe the harrowing environmental reason it occurred: “It’s too late to leave now / We’ve waited too long / Firestorms and atmospheric rivers / Flood waters carry sewage and debris / A garbage dump right outside your doorstep / Have left you stranded here with me.” I have never experienced Samiam as an overtly political band, which is why it is so powerful when they articulate so well the cries have been ignored for decades, which are those of the poor, working-class, and average folks who will carry the burden, and the death toll, of global climate change.
It is great to hear a band like Samiam, who have been making records since 1990, release an album that feels so urgent, fresh, and timely. Do not underestimate these old guys. They bring a lot to the table, both musically and lyrically. They are singing the present.
Given how great Stowaway is, I started to wonder: Were Samiam always this good? Over that last several weeks, I have fallen in love with the albums Trips and Whatever’s Got You Down. At some point I will go back and revisit the albums I bought years ago. I have a feeling I may hear them differently now.
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