No Room was the first album recorded by
the Samples after signing with start-up label What Are Records? (W.A.R.?) and the follow-up to 1991's The Samples. The songs on this album continue to use the environment as a canvas for personal reflections. Sometimes it is poetic, as in "When It's Raining," which encourages personal growth ("Leave shelter when it's raining"), and "Stone Tears," which condemns repression ("No one feels the heat of the earth/Their ancient walls protect them now"). Unfortunately, the eco-friendly sentiments get overly sappy, as in "Little Whale": "Oh you've been dreaming about a cleaner place to be/But it's the world you see/And there's a bunch of jerks running it for you and me/I guess we'll have to call it a day/Keep swimming mister." This is a solid follow-up to their debut, but is not as inspired. ~ JT Griffith