Artist:     Gin Blossoms

Album:     Mixed Reality

Label:     Cleopatra Records

Release Date:     6.15.18

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“Maturity” is such a dirty word in rock ‘n’ roll. It doesn’t seem like an obscenity, though, when thrown around in any in-depth discussion of the songwriting craftsmanship and sophistication of Mixed Reality, which shows the Gin Blossoms have aged gracefully.

Cut from the same catchy, melodic cloth as their surprising 1992 alternative-rock breakout hit New Miserable Experience, the Gin Blossoms’ first album in eight years snaps, crackles and pops, all while yielding a bounty of sterling hooks. Smartly, they enlisted the production and engineering help of Don Dixon and Mitch Easter; in doing so, the Gin Blossoms rejuvenated their love of jangly power-pop. Any of the infectious, brilliantly conceived Mixed Reality standouts “Mega Pawn King,” “Shadow,” “Fortunate Street” and “Face the Dark” could be their next “Hey Jealousy.” That goes double for a lustful “The Devil’s Daughter,” which is less pristine and scruffier than most of the LP. Although the gnarly “New Mexico Trouble” doesn’t play nice either.

Tempe, Arizona’s modern-day answer to The Byrds, the Gin Blossoms also traffic in tasteful, bittersweet melodies with a Southwestern vibe and a whole lot of heartbreak, deftly blending sparkling electric guitar figures with rootsy acoustic strum and a tight rhythm section. “Angels Fly” and “Here Again” are prime examples of that signature Gin Blossoms sound, but “Miranda Chicago” – with its sighing, resigned horns – is a breath of fresh air, with its breezy ‘60s pop romanticism.

If its aesthetic is not especially trendy these days, the songs of New Miserable Experience, which turned 25 last year, have somehow managed to endure. Mixed Reality boasts the Gin Blossoms’ strongest material in ages, and if there is indeed a God, it should have the same staying power well into the future. Given today’s fickle musical climate, that’s asking a lot, however.

—Peter Lindblad