Clumsy＜Opaque White Vinyl＞

Two years after their impressive debut, Our Lady Peace continue their rock journey with Clumsy. This time around, the melodies are more comfortable and the roaring rock riffs are calmer, resulting in a sound that earned Our Lady Peace the highest sales of their career. Raine Maida's lyrical screeching remains intact, sounding quite inviting on songs such as "Big Dumb Rocket" and "Automatic Flowers." The intensity found on the first album is a bit more tame, but Clumsy still beats the sophomore slump, and leadoff single "Superman's Dead" shows Our Lady Peace creating a unique type of post-grunge music. The album does introduce a more mature Our Lady Peace, and Maida's songwriting is far more internal, a reflection of personal imperfections and consequences that help fuel standout ballads like "4 A.M." But what makes Our Lady Peace a powerful act is their desire to keep it real on their own turf. Many may criticize Clumsy as less desirable, but it's their own deal. And that's how rock & roll should be, anyway. ~ MacKenzie Wilson