Albums are rated on a scale of...

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent):

*** Gin Blossoms, “New Miserable Experience,” A&M.; You can listen to some records and know in an instant what the musicians look like. “New Miserable Experience” is a T-shirt-and-jeans album, with hair over the ears but probably not quite shoulder-length. Utterly devoid of affectation, the Arizona band weaves hearty, guitar-propelled pop with lyrics whose simplicity belies their think-twice meanings: Try “Can’t call it cheatin’, she reminds me of you” on for size.