* * * THE GIN BLOSSOMS, “Congratulations, I’m Sorry’, A

On their 1992 debut album, Arizona’s Gin Blossoms turned out a dozen songs saturated with romantic angst and tinged with a poignantly tragic edge that unfortunately came to fruition in 1994, when guitarist and key songwriter Doug Hopkins committed suicide.

But such songs as “Lost Horizons,” “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” had a bracing emotional resonance even before his death made them ominous. It was the desperate feeling behind the words and the clarity of the bittersweet melodies that drove them to the heart.

Without Hopkins, the musicianship remains and the overall mood is a bit lighter. New guitarist Scott Johnson rocks out on “Day Job,” the rhythm section is as tight and supple as ever, and Robin Wilson’s vocals still brim with quivery emotion. The pop hooks that give the tunes their momentum are eminently hummable, whether set in an upbeat context or a melancholy meditation. They reprise the country flirtation of “Cheatin’ ” with “Memphis Time.” There’s even a stab at outright humor with a ballpark organ interlude called “7th Inning Stretch.”

Though it seems marginally more optimistic than its predecessor, “Congratulations” isn’t really any happier. It’s just that the edge between the bitter and the sweet has become a bit fuzzier.