Congratulations I'm Sorry
Gin Blossoms
A & M Records, 1996
http://www.ginblossoms.net
REVIEW BY: Jason Warburg
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 10/17/2002
Not that ambivalence ever asked to have poster children -- itreally hasn't made up its mind yet, you see -- but if it had, theGin Blossoms would have to be on the short list. From the brightlyoxymoronic title of their second major-label album Congratulations I'm Sorry, to the rich, bouncy guitar hooksthey use to support their often-mournful lyrics, these guys seemdetermined to have it both ways. Nowhere is this more apparent thanin this album's major-video-rotation track "Follow You Down," whosethoroughly infectious central hook lights up a song aboutco-dependent depression.
The results here and elsewhere in this 12-song-plus-intermissionset, while sometimes incongruous, are consistently entertaining andwell-executed. The lyrics can lean to self-pity at times, but offersubtle imagery and sparkling twists of phrase (e.g. "full sail inthe gutter," "nothing like a bad decision says who you are" and thewhole concept of a "Competition Smile"). It's also nice to see aband where everybody contributes to the songwriting.
There are big rewards waiting on the instrumental side, as well.The fat-and-juicy twin-lead guitars Jesse Valenzuela and ScottJohnson offer up front are supported by sharp ensemble playing,with instrumental flashes and fills from bassist Bill Leen anddrummer Phillip Rhodes that complement the driving lead riffs ofsongs like "Day Job" and "Perfectly Still" smartly without gettingin their way. Robin Wilson's lead vocals stay deep in the mix muchof the time, but are plenty strong enough to stand up and be heardwhen they need to be.
Gin Blossoms may have blown their whole ambivalent image in onerespect, though. In an era when everybody and their sister washopping on the grunge / industrial / speed-metal / hip-hop /ambient / acid-jazz / trendy-sub-genre-of-the-week bandwagon, theseguys made the gutsy commitment to play straight-ahead, hook-laden,all-guitar rock and roll. Well, except for their nicely executedcountry turn on "Memphis Time;" what was that all about -- oh,geez, these guys really are good at this, aren't they?
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