The Gin Blossoms are Back… with all their baggage.
After over a decade, one of my favorite bands, the Gin Blossoms are back with “Major Lodge Victory”, a decidedly mid-tempo collection that really sounds like a Gin Blossoms album. It sounds too much like “Congratulations…I’m Sorry”, and tries too hard to sound like “New Miserable Experience”.
While the album is more than listenable, it doesn’t break any new ground. While the first single “Learning the Hard Way” is filled with their usual goods: catchy melodies with a lot of hooks and a brand of grunge harmony that has them tagged as a scruffier version of Wilson Philips, it somehow sounds like a bunch of great musicians just doing their jobs.
Not necessarily labored, but somehow short of the drunken melancholy and desperation that is their trademark.
“Come On Hard” follows and vainly attempts to bring back that old edge they lost along with former leader Doug Hopkins. “Someday Soon” to me, is “As Long As It Matters” played sideways. Everything else just fades out inoffensively into the background.
While the disc is anything but a waste of money, I hope they break out the gin, get stoned, get depressed, and write better songs for their next effort.
Oh, and someone tell Robin Wilson he’s starting to sound really nasal.
After over a decade, one of my favorite bands, the Gin Blossoms are back with “Major Lodge Victory”, a decidedly mid-tempo collection that really sounds like a Gin Blossoms album. It sounds too much like “Congratulations…I’m Sorry”, and tries too hard to sound like “New Miserable Experience”.
While the album is more than listenable, it doesn’t break any new ground. While the first single “Learning the Hard Way” is filled with their usual goods: catchy melodies with a lot of hooks and a brand of grunge harmony that has them tagged as a scruffier version of Wilson Philips, it somehow sounds like a bunch of great musicians just doing their jobs.
Not necessarily labored, but somehow short of the drunken melancholy and desperation that is their trademark.
“Come On Hard” follows and vainly attempts to bring back that old edge they lost along with former leader Doug Hopkins. “Someday Soon” to me, is “As Long As It Matters” played sideways. Everything else just fades out inoffensively into the background.
While the disc is anything but a waste of money, I hope they break out the gin, get stoned, get depressed, and write better songs for their next effort.
Oh, and someone tell Robin Wilson he’s starting to sound really nasal.
Track List:
1. Learning The Hard Way
2. Come On Hard
3. Someday Soon
4. Heart Shaped Locket
5. The End Of The World
6. Long Time Gone
7. Super Girl
8. Let's Play Two
9. Curious Thing
10. Jet Black Sunrise
11. Fool For The Taking
12. California Sun
2. Come On Hard
3. Someday Soon
4. Heart Shaped Locket
5. The End Of The World
6. Long Time Gone
7. Super Girl
8. Let's Play Two
9. Curious Thing
10. Jet Black Sunrise
11. Fool For The Taking
12. California Sun
log on to: http://thegins.com/ for a free stream of the tracks on Major Lodge Victory...
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