I have mentioned my deep and abiding (if not a little creepy) love for Third Eye Blind at least twice now on Sound and Tonic.

Here comes round three.

Ursa Major was released not so long ago, and I’ve been mulling it around for a few weeks now. I know that it often takes a reasonable amount of time for me to move from music being ‘okay’ to ‘pure genius’. The Abrasive Wheels took 3 years before they worked into my larger and more accepted music library.

So I kept listening to Ursa Major, but I noticed a pattern. I rocked out through the initial tracks. I danced and sung along and had a good ole time. As the album progressed I found myself not paying attention to the music, or unthinkingly turning the album off in favor of something else. The album starts out quite strong, but unfortunately I don’t feel Third Eye Blind does a very good job of carrying that momentum through the rest of the album.

This, of course, upsets me. With the exception of the cheesy way-too-teenage-angsty tracks (*cough* Jumper *cough*) of their self-titled album, I’ve found the entirety of their catalogue to be truly fabulous. Rating a Third Eye Blind song less than 4 stars hurts my soul. I feel like a traitor.

That’s not to be helped, though perhaps another couple months of listening may sway me to bump some of those 3 and 3.5 starred songs upward to a 4. It has happened before.

Most unfortunately, I feel as is Stephan Jenkins’ writing powers are failing. I let “Non-Dairy Creamer” slide because it was only on an EP, and obviously meant to be flippant. Ursa Major gives off no flippant vibes. This is unfortunate to a point, because I can’t write any poor lyrical choices off to flippancy.

In fact, Stephan Jenkins’ lyrics on this album occasionally leave me annoyed to the point of near anger. “Sharp Knife” leaves me twitching. The verses are quite alright, and remind me of old Jenkins’. The chorus, and the repetition of “I wish I was a Sharp Knife” makes me wish I had a sharp knife, so that I could somehow make it stop.

“Sharp Knife” however, has nothing on “Why Can’t You Be“. Oh my goodness how I dislike that song. The regular version is bad enough, but when Kimya Dawson (who is normally wonderful and good) is brought into the equation, I nearly lose it. It’s mostly the lines about the Water Pick shower massager that leave me screeching like a banshee.

Really?

The line “My water massager’s the purest love I’ve ever known” makes me want to find Jenkins and punch him in the face. Sure he’s written amazing things, and sometimes I think those amazing things should give him a few ‘get out of Leslie’s doghouse free’ cards…but in reality his awesomeness of lyrical abilities just makes me hold him to a higher standard. By congress, I hate that song.

Here’s where I regain my composure. Excuse me a second. *ahem*. Better.

Where was I?

Oh yes. Ursa Major.

So, aside from the rather strong initial songs, and the songs that leave me spitting and sputtering in rage, the rest of the album fails to really interest me. I mean, it’s not bad. But I don’t find it particularly engaging. Kinda boring. The lyrics don’t sparkle with the glory of old Jenkins

Perhaps I’m being overly critical, but at least to me this album rests squarely at the bottom of the Third Eye Blind’s Studio Album Pile of Greatness.

What to Take Away?

Leslie is rather bummed that this album did not automatically take the place of best album ever.

What to Expect?

Slower Third Eye Blind songs that are hard to rock out to. You could probably get a good mini-groove going, or a slight foot-tap-head-bob combo, but a full rock out loud dance party would probably only last the length of the first track.

What to pair it with?

A Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza beer. It sounds amazing, and you are oh-so sure you are just going to love it. And you a take a sip, and it pulls you in and you start internally pontificating on it’s strengths, weaknesses, and worthiness just long enough to realize you don’t particularly feel like finishing the glass. You also feel slightly put off by the amount of money you just threw down in ratio to the enjoyment derived.

Favorite Song?

The first track “Can You Take Me” is a fast paced song that I could easily see on any of Third Eye Blind’s other albums. It has a good beat, good lyrics, aptly located harmonies and back up vocals, and a solid guitar part. It also attempts to incite a riot. It gets my approval.

There are some bands that will forever hold a place in my heart. Oft, these bands are some of my earliest secular musical rememberences, or my first delve into a new Genres.

Third Eye Blind, as mentioned a few posts ago, is one of these bands.

Third Eye Blind is amazing. Not only was their debut album an amazing smash hit, with chart topping singles all around, their sophomore album saw, if possible, better things. and Out Of The Vein? simply amazing. I’d say it’s one of the best albums I’ve ever heard.

But excuse me. I’m gushing.

What I came here to say today is that I will cut slack for some musicians. Slack I (admittedly) would probably not give others. Third Eye Blind is testing me on this, I think.

Once upon a time I had a couchsurfer who had a lot in common with me. Books. Movies. Hobbies. Music. But most gloriously, Third Eye Blind. You’d be surprised how hard it is to find left over Third Eye Blind junkies these days. But this lovely couchsurfer of mine pointed me to *gasp* a Third Eye Blind EP that I’d never heard of.

Red Star.

I was amazed. I was excited. I was shamed and had to serve penance to the Third Eye Blind Appreciator Society. But I did get my paws on this new Third Eye Blind.

Eh.

I’d love to say I love it. But I don’t think I do. The major song on it, ‘Non-Dairy Creamer’, is certainly catchy. I’ve been listening to it constantly. Catchy does not always equal good, however. While I like this song, I’m not going to say It’s good. I may even concede that the only reason I really enjoy it is because it’s Third Eye Blind. I have been wanting new material so badly.

The first track, Non-Dairy Creamer comes off too heavy handed…While trying to be tongue and cheek. It doesnt mix well. It blatantly calls ‘the man behind the pulpit a bigot and a liar’ in a fashion that is not playful. Later, it finds culprit in ‘two young gay republicans’ for the death of marriage. This part is obviously a joke. Then comes an epic chorus of ‘Young Gay Republicannnnns! Young Gay Republicans!’

Really? I get that Young Gay Republicans are supposed to be ironic in some fashion. But a rousing chorus of ‘Young Gay Republicans’ is neither witty nor ironic. It’s just odd.

I’m just gonna go ahead and say I don’t really get it. It’s like they’re trying to cram too much into a song, and in doing so the lyrical ability of the members (mostly Jenkins) got left behind somewhere.

But it’s still catchy as hell. and I still like it. Even though I know it’s not a good song.

But what about the other tracks on the album, you wisely ask? To be honest, I don’t really remember. I’ve listened to this three song EP many times, and all I can remember is Non-Dairy Creamer. The fact that neither of the other songs were memorable enough to recall makes me think they probably aren’t worth tracking down and listening to again.

Ursa Major, Third Eye Blind’s fourth full length studio album is due to come out at the end of the month. None of the songs on Red Star are slated to be on it. Let’s hope this is a sign of better things to come.

What to take away?

Red Star EP is only worth anything for Non-Dairy Creamer. Which is an odd song. But one you will most likely be unable to resist, if previous catchy Third Eye Blind songs tickled your fancy.

What to expect?

Not much, unfortunately.

What drink to pair it with?

Rolling Rock. I mean, it’s beer. And if you like beer, and you have nothing else at hand, you’ll drink it. And it is better than Pabst or Schlitz or something. Much like Red Star. Red Star is better than Schlitz.

It’s always sobering to hear a band for the first time and think you’ve uncovered this new gem only to discover that not only are they far from new but also prolific with thousands of fans and millions of plays.

That’s what happened with Metric.

The quasi-grunge-alternative-rock group first came onto my radar through – you guessed it – Pandora. “Dead Disco” was the title of the catchy track paired for the radio station I had created (I don’t recall what exactly the station was). “Brilliant!” I exclaimed to myself in the dark of my apartment – it was late and I hadn’t bothered to turn on lights. “Surely this is the new Garbage.” I happily crooned as I maneuvered to last.fm (still distraught that Garbage had disbanded).

Twenty million plays… Bugger. Not as fresh as I’d thought.

I guess the sense of loss, if you could call it that, was not particularly substantive since I still really liked the band and affinity can’t be diminished by the number of plays a group has, but it did manage to raise the question: “How did I not know about this group for the last decade?” I can take some solace in the fact that of the millions of artists on this planet the chances of me encountering even a slim fraction of them are limited – after all, how much variety can a person digest over the course of a normal lifetime? One would of course hope for a lot, but still there are big fish that slip through the net and it boggles my tiny mind.

Metric was admittedly not the direct Garbage scion that I had initially presumed it to be (the comparison was made after listening to only a few select songs), but it was close. Emily Haines uses her seductive, smoky vocals to the same effect as Garbage’s Shirley Manson, albeit to less sensual music. Metric, however, is a constantly changing beast.

I acquired their most recent album, “Fantasies,” and had a listen. The tone is somewhat industrial and a bit dark despite bright overtones… Maybe “encapsulated sadness” would be a good way to put it? The lyrics are catchy and the rhythms memorable and addicting, but “Fantasies” isn’t like their other material – it’s evolved.

I will admit that my exposure to their older works is limited (I hope to remedy that), but from what I can tell the group has progressed steadily from slower more indie/experimental music to – as one commenter on last.fm remarked – “busier” rock-infused sound. Not a bad progression if I do say so myself. In fact, the reason I purchased “Fantasies” over the other albums available was because I liked the more rock inspired feeling, and the harder the beats, the more feeling Emily seems to be able to put into the piece.

This is of course a first-thoughts piece that I will follow up on when I listen to more of there older work. In the mean time however, if you’ve never heard of Metric you should definitely look them up because they’ve already found a niche in my heart.

What to take away…

Metric is an evolving sound that currently sits somewhere around alternative rock. Check out their older stuff for softer tones that are equally as good as their modern pieces (if not different) and to analyze the transition for yourself.

What should you expect?

The feeling is almost-but-not-quite grungy, but expect beats that keep your head bopping if no other part of your body can find a reason to dance.

What to pair them with?

The modern stuff just seems too industrial to me for cocktails. I feel whiskey on the rocks although I’m not entirely sure why…

Favorite song?

“Help I’m Alive” is likely my favorite – it’s a bit experimental and opens with one of the best sequences I’ve ever encountered in music. “Gimme Sympathy,” however, is a close second with more of a pop feel to it.

Do you remember the first album you bought? Back when you were young, pirating music off the internet wasn’t an option, and the 10 dollars you saved up for that album seemed like a small fortune?

I do. Vibrantly.

I was raised rather sheltered, and secular music was both magical and contraband material. My first CD seemed like a huge move in the name of defiance and coming into young-adulthood.

My first album was Third Eye Blind’s self-titled album. Racey, no? Completely scandalous.

I was probably in 7th grade when I bought it. I still attended Christian School at that point, and I remember sneaking listening to the radio, taping music from it, and listening to the cassettes on my walkman on car rides and hikes. The bands that I enjoyed the most from those slices of radio heaven were Matchbox Twenty, Savage Garden, and Third Eye Blind.

One day, when my family was at Wal*Mart, I decided to go crazy and buy an album. I tracked down Third Eye Blind and remember being scared of the album art. It looked kind of … evil. It didn’t bother me, but if my parents stumbled across it I’d be hosed. I couldn’t play that off as contemporary Christian.

I bought it anyway. I was such a rebel. *cough*

I managed to sneak it out of the store without detection. Next we went to Ames, and I brought it in with me. I wanted to open it up and look at it, and I figured I could ditch my parents and get a quick look.

Except Wal*mart’s anti-theft device set off Ames’ alarm. I was busted. The store didn’t care. I had my receipt, they just came and turned off the system. But my parents now knew of the album, and one look at the case and they were skeptical. My father said he’d have to look through it later to see if it was appropriate.

From what I had heard on the radio, I promised him it was. Songs about how drugs aren’t the answer and stuff.

In the store I broke it out and started at the beginning, reading the lyrics. I was terrified. The first song said ‘goddamn’ about 10 times. Semi-Charmed Life had a line about ‘those little red panties’ passing the test. That was edited out of the radio version.

Worse yet. One song mentioned people ‘Jesus couldn’t save’. I was fucked. My parents would kill me, and even worse, take my album away.

Somehow they spaced it all out. Somehow they forgot all about it. I wasn’t about to mention it.

Thank congress the non-instrumental version of “Slow Motion” didn’t make it to the album. Reading about gun violence and various forms of drug abuse including cutting Coke with Draino just to make someone bleed probably would have been enough to make me admit the folly of the CD and beg forgiveness. Oh yes, I was that big a rebel.

That was the only album I owned for months. I listened to it endlessly. For the next 7 or 8 years, it still was in my top five list of albums.

I am so incredibly and undeniably biased about the album that I’m not sure I can talk about it without gushing. I love it. Everything from the poppy and way overplayed Semi-Charmed Life to slower beautiful songs like Motorcycle Drive By are perfect. The album covers it all.

The album is to me the perfect incarnation of post-grunge. I don’t really like grunge, but that 90’s alternative post-grunge scene was perfect, with this album being it’s pinnacle.

While Semi-Charmed Life may have been what got in me in the proverbial door, don’t expect that obscene catchiness from the rest of the album. That’s not a bad thing. If the entire album were like Semi-Charmed Life i think i would have been burnt out on the album about a decade ago.

The album manages to pair the despair of grunge with catchy harmonies and perfectly played ‘arena rock’. The songs are far from happy, with Semi-Charmed Life, perhaps the catchiest song of the 1990s, about a methanphetamine addiction. With instrumentation seemingly meant for much tamer topics, i’m sure more than a few people were shocked when they finally looked up the lyrics.

What to Expect?

A mixture of Pop harmonies, Rock instrumentation, and Grunge influences to both music and vocals.

What to Take Away?

There’s a reason why Third Eye Blind has such a cult following, even this far down the line. If you’re only familiar with their Radio Singles, I recommend hitting Youtube to see if perhaps acquiring the album would be up your alley.

What Drink to Pair it with?

Some manner of Stout. Perhaps a Lefthand Milk Stout. Dark, just a little heavy, but sweet enough to keep coming back for more.

Favorite Song?

Either the non-instrumental version of “Slow Motion”, or “Motorcycle Drive By”.