20 Years Later, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah Reissues Their Debut Album

Initially, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s self-titled debut album was meant to be a four-track EP. But after acquiring extra studio time, Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter Alex Ounsworth, drummer Sean Greenhalgh, keyboardist-guitarist Robbie Guertin, guitarist Lee Sargent, and bassist Tyler Sargent wrote additional material to expand it to 12 songs. 

The album was made for less than $5,000 and released independently, with the band handing out copies to record stores in Philadelphia and New York City. With the odds stacked against them, the album sold more than 125,000 copies with no label backing and practically no promotion or radio airplay, amassing an ever-growing fanbase through word of mouth and plenty of critical acclaim. 

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On May 30, the band’s 2005 album was released in a new 20th anniversary limited deluxe vinyl reissue. The packaging alone is stunning, with a fresh reimagining of the album’s bright yellow, pink, and white artwork, complete with cool peel-off stickers that you can rearrange however you like, which is meant to capture the DIY spirit of the original album release (though, I admit, after a few attempts, I stopped trying to peel them off at the risk of damaging my copy). 

Inside the refined gatefold features either a clear vinyl with splatters of yellow and white (that’s the version I got) or a bright pink version with red and yellow splatters. 

Also included is a bonus flexi 7” with the recently unveiled original 2004 recording of “Heavy Metal.” While both versions have their merits, after listening to the 7”, I prefer the original stripped-down version, which doesn’t include harmonica or fuzz bass.

Of course, it all sounds great, just the way vinyl should, with the same, raw, ramshackle sound that was such an integral part of the original album’s appeal. Fun-loving and quirky tracks such as “The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth” and “Upon This Tidal Wave Of Young Blood” never sounded so good; both standouts highlight Ounsworth’s and the rest of the band’s knack for writing uplifting, celebratory songs with buzzing synths, trebly guitars, bustling drums, and Ounsworth’s wailing vocals.

Besides the reissue, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is currently on tour to celebrate the band’s debut album anniversary with Ounsworth, Todd Erk (bass, synth), Jonas Oesterle (drums), and Ben Collins (guitar, keys, lights) performing the record in its entirety, with stops in Latin and South America in June before heading to Europe in September, followed by two shows in Japan and dates in Australia and New Zealand.  

Three other Clap Your Hands Say Yeah-related reissues were also released on May 30. First up, a completely redesigned Skin and Bones, a 2009 album by Ounsworth and members of Dr. Dog, the Walkmen, and Man Man, which is now available for the first time in record stores. The second is Mo Beauty—a solo album by Ounsworth originally released under his own name in the same year—which has made its vinyl return with a redesigned gatefold, spot gloss varnish, and marble smokey vinyl. Lastly, Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah’s third album, Hysterical—originally released in 2011—is also available with a reinterpreted design of the original artwork with blue metallic foil, marble vinyl, and an inlay poster. 

Twenty years ago, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah proved that success can come to those with the right amount of determination and resourcefulness, and this anniversary reissue is a testament to the band’s true DIY spirit. It’s no overstatement that Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has evolved over time to become one of the most influential indie albums of the 2000s. 

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