Major Lodge Victory (2006)

Compared to Clinton-era hits from contemporaries like Counting Crows and Spin Doctors, the Gin Blossoms' R.E.M.-lite jingles hold up surprisingly well. So calling Major Lodge Victory, their first CD in a decade more of the same isn't necessarily a knock. Though nothing here matches the pop brilliance of ''Hey Jealousy,'' the group comes close on ''Long Time Gone'' and ''Someday Soon,'' with its immaculate summertime shimmer. Hardly a half-hearted cash-in, this comeback LP marks a solid addendum to the Gin Blossoms' multiplatinum peak output. '