Gin Blossoms - Major Lodge Victory (2006)
It’s pretty hard to believe that it took the Gin Blossoms a decade to release their third album, 2006’s Major Lodge Victory. It’s even harder to believe then that the album sounds like no time has passed at all, which is actually a good thing. To be fair, the band was not together for the majority of that decade, and with good reason. The Gin Blossoms have always been kind of an alt rock enigma: they released only two real albums in the 90s (the folk-rock classic New Miserable Experience (1992) and the relative sophomore slump Congratulations… I’m Sorry (1996)), yet were able to rule the radio for that decade and retain a solid presence beyond; no band in the genre this side of Matchbox Twenty has been able to achieve that. However, amidst this success, the band suffered, burning too brightly too soon. Between the stress, internal conflict, and substance abuse, founding member and songwriter Doug Hopkins was fired from the band and subsequently killed himself. The band could simply not continue with the weight of its demons. All things considered, the time off was actually good timing. They missed the rise and fall of the teeny bopper fad, as well as nu-metal’s heyday (unfortunately, Nickelback is still around). Suffice to say, Major Lodge Victory is not a ten year album in the making, this is no Chinese Democracy. It’s simply the work of a band resuming their craft around where they left off, but this time they sound refreshed and revitalized, and they rock a little harder. This isn’t to say that the Gin Blossoms found punk; they just sound more like the Wallflowers instead of Toad The Wet Sprocket this time around. And it’s certainly evident from the excellent opening punch of “Learning The Hard Way” and “Come On Hard.” The harder sound actually suites the band more, and it feels like this was the plan, as reflected in “Long Time Gone.” Other highlights include the thundering “Curious Thing” and the speed-folk-rock rush of “Fool For The Taking.” The ballads, however, aren’t quite as engaging, but the fuller sound works better than before (they have never been a ballads band), and the closer “California Sun” might just be their best one. While it would be difficult to trump the 90s powerhouse of New Miserable Experience, the band more than makes up for Congratulations… I’m Sorry with a new and more optimistic chapter. The Gin Blossoms are back, and hopefully they’ll stick around this time.
3.5/5
"I've been such a fool / Didn't want to lose / It's been a long time coming"
S. McSmoke-Smoke
It’s pretty hard to believe that it took the Gin Blossoms a decade to release their third album, 2006’s Major Lodge Victory. It’s even harder to believe then that the album sounds like no time has passed at all, which is actually a good thing. To be fair, the band was not together for the majority of that decade, and with good reason. The Gin Blossoms have always been kind of an alt rock enigma: they released only two real albums in the 90s (the folk-rock classic New Miserable Experience (1992) and the relative sophomore slump Congratulations… I’m Sorry (1996)), yet were able to rule the radio for that decade and retain a solid presence beyond; no band in the genre this side of Matchbox Twenty has been able to achieve that. However, amidst this success, the band suffered, burning too brightly too soon. Between the stress, internal conflict, and substance abuse, founding member and songwriter Doug Hopkins was fired from the band and subsequently killed himself. The band could simply not continue with the weight of its demons. All things considered, the time off was actually good timing. They missed the rise and fall of the teeny bopper fad, as well as nu-metal’s heyday (unfortunately, Nickelback is still around). Suffice to say, Major Lodge Victory is not a ten year album in the making, this is no Chinese Democracy. It’s simply the work of a band resuming their craft around where they left off, but this time they sound refreshed and revitalized, and they rock a little harder. This isn’t to say that the Gin Blossoms found punk; they just sound more like the Wallflowers instead of Toad The Wet Sprocket this time around. And it’s certainly evident from the excellent opening punch of “Learning The Hard Way” and “Come On Hard.” The harder sound actually suites the band more, and it feels like this was the plan, as reflected in “Long Time Gone.” Other highlights include the thundering “Curious Thing” and the speed-folk-rock rush of “Fool For The Taking.” The ballads, however, aren’t quite as engaging, but the fuller sound works better than before (they have never been a ballads band), and the closer “California Sun” might just be their best one. While it would be difficult to trump the 90s powerhouse of New Miserable Experience, the band more than makes up for Congratulations… I’m Sorry with a new and more optimistic chapter. The Gin Blossoms are back, and hopefully they’ll stick around this time.
3.5/5
"I've been such a fool / Didn't want to lose / It's been a long time coming"
S. McSmoke-Smoke
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