It was For Squirrels' only major label record, as lead singer John Vigliatura and bassist Bill White died when the band's van blew a tire and crashed less than a month before Example's release.

[4] Despite the death of half the band, the two surviving members chose to release the album as scheduled.

[9] The Austin Chronicle called the album "a great approximation of early R.E.M.

that would fit nicely in a set with the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Sponge.

"[12] Trouser Press wrote that Example shows "that [the band] was a vibrant musical force with a fully realized sound and a knack for explosive, out-of-the-ordinary dynamics.