Album Review - Third Eye Blind (self titled)
What makes a truly great album? If you’ve ever thought that writing an effective song must be hard, take a second to reflect on the task of getting ten or fifteen of them to gel seamlessly into one product. The enormity of taking this on explains why there are so many good songs, yet comparatively few great albums. Fortunately, Third Eye Blind produced exactly that with their self-titled first album.
Eleven years on, the San Francisco four-piece have yet to eclipse the success of their epic debut, but it’s not for a lack of fine songs. They’ve written a lot of excellent material since, but the secret to this album’s success wasn’t the individual tracks it featured, but the way they linked with each other. They take you on a journey through the course of the album, in a way that very few other records do.
That’s not to say this album lacks individual hits. Far from it – songs like ‘Semi Charmed Life’ and ‘Graduate’ enjoyed prolonged stays in the Billboard Chart top ten, thanks, in part, to being used on the American Pie soundtrack. However, whilst the songs featured on US teen comedies often tend to reflect their characters – unambiguously either cool and happy or troubled and nerdy – Third Eye Blind’s offerings have genuine depth.
Right from the opener ‘Losing a Whole Year’ you are presented with something that repeatedly contrasts from subtle to anthemic. Complex layers abound, with one track featuring no less than nine guitars and three different tunings! Despite this it never feels fussy or contrived. The songs flow as beautifully as the album; with sharp lyrics, catchy melodies and perfectly targeted instrumentals.
It’s hard to categorise the feel of the tracks on this album. With the exception of the punchy, up-tempo single ‘Graduate’, they all vary considerably from beginning to end. Delicate moments of reflection give way to frenzied action; just like real life. It’s unashamedly guitar-lead, but the range of texture is impressive and even the quieter moments avoid lapsing into any emo-like self-pity. The album feels fresh throughout and still, after more than a decade, it doesn’t show the faintest signs of ageing.
And so, at the risk of a cliché, the whole really does add up to more than the sum of its (already impressive) parts. ‘Third Eye Blind’ remains one of my all-time favourite albums. And the fact I rather rate some of the individual tracks on there too …well, that’s just coincidence.
Chris Pickering Reviews Third Eye Blind (self titled)
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