Thursday, January 14, 2010

Third Eye Blind is Still Kickin'...And I Like It

My friend Greg is happy that Third Eye Blind is once again relevant to the music scene. And he's not even the biggest fan of 3EB (does that make me seem legit?) that I know.


I have strange friends. I could name at least three right now that would consider Third Eye Blind their all time favorite band. Don't get me wrong. I used to be quite obsessed myself. I can remember Thanksgiving back in 1999, my mom was concerned about not having a pan for potatoes and sent my brother to K-Mart to buy one. As a 14-year-old I tagged along, not to make sure he bought the right pan(sometimes he was a little slow), but solely for the purpose of buying Blue, the band's second major album. I came home and listened to it all night, spending most of the holiday finding a quiet room and playing the cd on my discman(so 90s), jamming to "Never Let You Go", while the the family gathered to eat and be merry. I guess my friends aren't that strange after all. Third Eye Blind was a pretty kick ass band back in the day.


Fast forward ten years and I bet you didn't know that Third Eye Blind released their highest Billboard ranked album this past summer. Granted, it didn't sell as much as previous efforts in their first weeks, but a slow sales week gave them their highest ranking debut yet on the Billboard 200, which definitely came as a surprise.


A lot has changed for Third Eye Blind since the days of Semi-Charmed Life, which is the happiest song about crystal meth and oral sex that I bet will ever be made. Kevin Cadogan was forced out of the band and in turn, sued the other members amidst several ugly allegations, including one that lead singer, Stephan Jenkins, was a bit of a tyrant. Jenkins starred in a really awesome made for TV movie. I kid, it was awful, and his acting was atrocious, but at least he was looking good. Don't take my word for it, check out this hilarious review.


In 2004, they were dropped from their label, which must have burned a bit, considering their 2003 release was given little label help, because Elektra was being taken over by Atlantic during promotions for the album. It lead to only two singles being released and one video, as well as underwhelming sales. Then came a six year stalemate (aside from becoming a staple of the college concert circuit) and now, they're back.


These days, original bassist Arion Salazar is not a part of the group, but hasn't officially left for good. Leaving the drama in the past, Third Eye Blind has released a pretty sweet little album in Ursa Major. A slightly different sound may gain new fans, while true fans will appreciate songs that sound similar to the good old tunes of the late 90s, full of catchy beats and witty lyrics.


There are some stand out tracks on the disc. You have probably heard “Don't Believe a Word” and “Bonfire” on the radio, the second of which sounds closest to the band's previous success stories, the first has a pretty sick music video. “One in Ten” is a light hearted take on falling in love with a woman who likes women. Sounds like a joke, but it's kind of a sweet little tune and proves you can write about such a subject without getting ridiculous. I'm talking to you, JC Chasez. A couple of slower tracks, including “Dao of St. Paul”, get a little too serious for my Third Eye Blind tastes. I want them to sing to me about horrible, dirty, addictive things, but encapsulate them in nice, little pop rock packages that make me tap my toes.


The disc isn't great, but it's pretty good and that's enough. Their six year absence made the heart grow fonder and I'm a little bit convinced that even a terrible album would have been a welcomed effort. In an industry full of ups and downs, it just feels sweet to turn on a radio and hear a band you were into over ten years ago being played. Let's just hope it doesn't take another six years for it to happen again.




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