Artist: Gin Blossoms
Album: New Miserable Experience
Released: August 4, 1992
OK, I'm just going to say it now: Gin Blossoms is one of the most underrated bands of the past generation. Many people, if you refresh their memory, might vaguely remember one or two of their big radio hits from back in the '90s, but today they are basically an afterthought. I'm not sure exactly why that is, but I have a few ideas... for one thing, they weren't as groundbreaking or, dare I say, outlandish as several other more well-known bands from that era. And it certainly doesn't help that they only released two major label albums before splitting up, only one of which was with renowned songwriter/guitarist Doug Hopkins, who was kicked out of the band for his alcoholism and committed suicide soon after. (The band would later reunite and put out two more albums, one in 2006 and another in 2010.)
Another thing working against them is that it is not easy to classify exactly what type of rock they play. Typically they've been classified as pop, jangle, and/or alternative, somewhat lost in an era that was dominated by grunge. I would argue that they sound as much as anything like post-grunge; indeed, they sound more like Collective Soul or Matchbox Twenty than they do Pearl Jam or Soundgarden. If this is the case, then Gin Blossoms may have actually been a band that was ahead of their time, their (temporary) demise coming at around the same time that the music world may have finally been ready for them.
Anyway, regardless of their shortcomings, there might not be a band that does a better job of capturing what the '90s was all about than Gin Blossoms (watch the video for "Hey Jealousy" and you'll see what I mean). What makes them so unique is their down-to-earth, relatively mature sound, dealing with failing romances, missed opportunities, and overcoming past demons, with a tone that, if not positive, at least has a feeling of contentment and trying to move forward. One can listen to this album and relate to the frustrations coming from Robin Wilson (lead singer) and, instead of becoming more depressed, walk away feeling ok. How many albums are like that?
The band scored four hits from this album... "Hey Jealousy" and "Allison Road" are probably the two most well-known and also remain two of my all-time favorites. "Found Out About You" is also great, though it has moved down on my list slightly over the years, perhaps because of it's overly dramatic tone (one of the few songs on the album with which this is an issue). It took me a while, but I have really come to appreciate "Until I Fall Away" more and more over time... if you could classify any of Gin Blossoms's songs as "beautiful", this might be the one.
Overall, the rest of the album is very solid. At the beginning they demonstrate their calm yet upbeat sound with "Lost Horizons" and "Mrs. Rita". While I don't think Gin Blossoms are at their very best with the more intense rock, I still think they do a great job with "Hold Me Down" and "Hands Are Tied" later on in the album... I slightly prefer the former, even if it is a little drawn out. These latter two tracks actually convey a similar tone to the former two while providing a little variety of sound. "29" and "Pieces of the Night", towards the end, seem like slightly watered down versions of the previous songs, though they are still solid.
One thing I've never understood about Gin Blossoms is their need to occasionally dabble into country... "Cheatin'" is definitely the low point of the album, although what makes it tolerable is that (a) it's the Gin Blossoms, so I'm willing to give it the benefit if the doubt, and (b) I suspect it wasn't really meant to be taken seriously. And then there's "Cajun Song", which isn't without it's charm, but again seems really out of place. I guess it could be argued that it provides a little break between the more intense "Hold Me Down" and "Hands Are Tied".
If there's one thing I can say about Gin Blossoms, it's that it's a shame that not more people listen to them. For one thing, it's really great music that can be appreciated even more when their career is put into full context. At the same time, though what happened to Hopkins is a tragedy, one can listen to New Miserable Experience and, instead of hearing nothing but whining that is prevalent on so many popular albums today, be able to put the past behind and feel more optimistic about the future.
Track #, Name of Song, Duration, My Rating
1. Lost Horizons (3:21) - 9/10
2. Hey Jealousy (3:57) - 10/10
3. Mrs. Rita (4:26) - 9/10
4. Until I Fall Away (3:53) - 10/10
5. Hold Me Down (4:51) - 9/10
6. Cajun Song (2:57) - 7/10
7. Hands Are Tied (3:18) - 9/10
8. Found Out About You (3:53) - 9/10
9. Allison Road (3:19) - 10/10
10. 29 (4:20) - 8/10
11. Pieces of the Night (4:35) - 8/10
12. Cheatin' (3:25) - 5/10
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