Up And Crumbling, by Gin Blossoms

The year was 1990, and the Gin Blossoms were an up and coming (pun intended) band in the Tuscon, Arizona scene. Like many bands seeking to make their mark, they recorded a small set of songs in the hope that the efforts would give them greater visibility. The approach is a tried and true one. If a band is successful enough to draw the attention of a major label, the best two or three songs on the EP are remembered because they go on the major label debut and/or compilations. If not, then real fans will still treasure a tight collection of solid songs even if the band doesn’t go anywhere. Without spoiling too much (I hope), the Gin Blossoms were successful enough on the strength of this EP to be signed to A&M records and they book two of the songs from the EP with them to record their smash debut New Miserable Experience. A third song was recorded and went on their first retrospective (both reviews forthcoming). How do the rest of the songs (both of them) fare, though?

As the debut EP of Gin Blossoms is only five songs, it’s easy to give it a track-by-track review. “Mrs. Rita” opens with an odd slice of life song about the narrator seeking advice and counsel about a troubled relationship from a fortune teller as well as the bottom of a bottle of alcohol. The song is catchy and energetic and it’s not a surprise that it was viewed as enough of a standout track to be on their debut. “Allison Road,” which became one of their sizable number of hit singles, is another song that looks at a troubled relationship, this one focusing on the narrator’s indecision rather than his partner’s, but this is looking like a trend. “Angels Tonight” is a pleasant tune, not as lyrically distinctive but certainly pleasant sounding. It was certainly a good enough song to record and the musical approach is similar to the power pop approach Gin Blossoms has in general, but it’s not distinctive like their best work. “Just South Of Nowhere” is another catchy if somewhat downbeat song about the bittersweet experience about seeking isolation as a refuge from the troubles and sorrows of life. It’s clearly enough of a standout track to have made it to the first compilation album of the band. The EP closes with “Keli Richards,” a decent if not spectacular song about dreaming and pining for a woman far out of one’s league in several respects, a relatable experience to be sure but not necessarily an uplifting one.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by this EP. I knew that three of the songs would be good, so I knew it would be an overall good debut EP, but even the two tracks that haven’t been well-remembered are at least a 3.5/5, with Keli Richards only a shade behind the best three tracks on the EP in the 4/5 range. It is striking to know that the EP as a whole is solidly in the 4/5 range while the band (or the label) had a good ear about the best songs to preserve for posterity by bringing them on to future projects. As is often the case, it is worth examining what this tight and well-produced debut has to say about the band as a whole. Surprisingly and pleasingly, the power pop of Gin Blossoms that would carry through them through two album cycles of considerable popularity came fully formed in their debut, with the yearning and emotional longing and ambivalence that the band was known for present from the start. The songs are achingly beautiful for such early efforts, full of complex emotional resonance, often bouncy and catchy while having a deep undercurrent of vulnerability and melancholy. Given such a potent mix of alcohol, openhearted songwriting, and unadulterated yearning, the glorious success and tragedy of the band was seemingly guaranteed from the start.