Gin Blossoms Reviewed
Gin Blossoms
Major Lodge Victory
(Hybrid)
It probably isn’t possible to judge the Gin Blossoms without invoking their history, especially if they’re repeating it.
One crucial piece of their tale is songwriter Doug Hopkins was booted before their debut album, New Miserable Experience, captured radio in the ’90s. His subsequent suicide — a byproduct of alcoholism and depression — failed to derail the band’s surge behind singles “Hey Jealousy,” “Until I Fall Away,” and “Found Out About You,” until it came time to record again. The Gin Blossom template was established and ripe for repetition (jangly, open chord guitar patterns, mildly tuneful vocals courtesy Robin Wilson’s nondescript croon, and patent interchangeability), however missing was the stinging vulnerability in the songs Hopkins helped write — keeping winning formula from formulaic.
Less than two years after Miserable‘s followup, Congratulations I’m Sorry, Gin Blossoms were done. So what stirred the gang for a 10-year reunion? Well, apparently not a wellspring of good material. Still following the script, Major Lodge Victory could very well find a home on adult contemporary stations. Endless midtempo rockers like “Super Girl” butt up against tambourine-aided Big Star attempts with little mind toward replicating success — just trying to get by on it. Well, they rose from the dead once, why not try it again?
— Steve Forstneger
Appearing: August 12th at Lou’s La Grotto Summer Concerts Series in Peru.
