Filed under: Features
I haven’t slept since Tuesday morning. My flight was a cramped nightmare that left me unable to find comfort or a wink. I guess that’s fine though…perhaps the lack of sleep was due to the excitement!
Today I start my two week trek through the UK and Spain!
The Admiral and I rolled into Heathrow this morning around 10 am and began a whirlwind day of…well…mostly nothing to be honest. It was relaxed. The Admiral has not seen her commanding officer in two years so it was good to just trot around and catch up. He is a very nice man who really digs ice cream and seemed to be thwarted at every turn in his plans to acquire some (Huxtable Style).
We are currently staying in WImbelton with a family friend in a fairly sweet flat. Tomorrow includes some bopping around Camden, Soho and Chelsea and then who really knows…I’m sort of flying by the seat of my pants here!
After London there is a pilgrimage to Dublin to see the Phil Lynott statue (finally) and then Barcelona.
Apres is the Reading Festival.
|It’s going to be a great trip, check back here for thoughts on how it’s rolling!
Also today I saw a woman who looked like Bill Clinton circa re-election.
Filed under: Features, Music, Reviews | Tags: 3eb, Bonfire, Can You Take Me, Don't Believe A Word, Sharp Knife, Stephen Jenkins, Summer Town, The Hideous Strength, Third Eye Blind, Ursa Major
Third Eye Blind - Ursa Major
THE ALBUM – Ursa Major
THE BAND – Third Eye Blind
RELEASE DATE – August 18, 2009
IN A NUT SHELL - After a Guns’ N Roses-esq wait, Third Eye Blind release an album that finally lives up to the promise of their 1997 debut.
“Ursa Major is the bear coming out of hibernation, hungry for spring, ready to feed and thrive.”
I was talking to my friend Yael a few days ago and put this all into perspective – the last time Third Eye Blind released an album I was in my freshman year of University. The last time Third Eye Blind released an album Yael was in High School…we were kids. It’s scary to think about. Life is going by quickly, it doesn’t feel that long ago, but here we are…
Yes, Ursa Major (originally titled The Hideous Strength) has been a long time coming, over six years in fact. And while many have forgotten about that dirty little band who sang about crystal meth and oral sex, the fanbase remains surprisingly (hideously?) strong. Luckily for those of us who stuck around, our faith has been rewarded.
Ursa Major is 3eb’s best album since their ‘97 S/T debut. I don’t think that is one of those Euphoric “I can’t believe I’m hearing new tracks” statements either. The album opens with Can You Take Me, a track that flex’s about as much muscle as Hulk Hogan slamming Andre The Giant. The guitar is heavy, the drums pound and the the lyrics are defiant and are full of the cocky Stephen Jenkins sneer that polarizes people. Those of us who love it will LOVE it…those of us who don’t weren’t really fans in the first place…
Third Eye Blind...Stoked for the new Astro Boy movie
This isn’t to say that the album is full of boisterous Stephen Jenkins arrogance…almost to the contrary. Sure it creeps out in tracks like Don’t Believe A Word and Summertown, but in many cases the lyrics are a beautiful bummer. I’ve always thought that Stephen Jenkins is at his best when he’s at his worst… and it sounds like it may have been a rough six years.
“I confess that so far happiness alludes me in my life” he sings on The Dao Of St. Paul before the band builds into a beautiful slow burning finale reminiscent of Springsteen’s “My City of Ruin.”
While the album is not perfect (One in Ten is an especially bad track that may be the worst song the band has ever recorded) it does stand as a representation of a band at its peak. Hungry, excited to tour, a back catalog full of hits and an even deeper catalog of album cuts that fans love, a great new album and nobody to answer to but the faithful.
It’s a good time to be Third Eye Blind…it’s an even better time to be a Third Eye Blind fan.
Tracks To Check Out: Bonfire, Sharp Knife, Monotov’s Private Opera, Summertown, Don’t Believe a Word, Can You Take Me
