So this is my first entry in this blog, and I wanted to tell everyone a little bit about myself and my intentions first. I am a recent graduate of Colgate University, where I majored in History and minored in Middle East studies. That said, I love music; and I intend to write primarily about music. I want to profile new music, discuss old favorites, and provide a forum for the discussion of any music at all.
My musical interests are pretty eclectic, to say the least. I listen to a little bit of everything, and I listen to music pretty much constantly in life. I listen to music when I drive, when I relax, when I exercise, when I’m studying or doing work, like I said, all the time. I’m always open to trying new kinds of music, and I do my best to seek it out. My taste in music is always changing, so hopefully everyone can find something here that they like.
So in this first post, I want to talk about one of my personal favorite bands, Third Eye Blind. Stephen Jenkins, the lead singer, lives in San Francisco, near where I grew up; they’ve been on the scene for quite some time, since about 1994. So they’re old, and they haven’t put out a ton of music lately, but I grew up with them, and I’ve never stopped listening to them. One of my favorite things about Stephen Jenkins is that there is this unbounded energy in all of his songs, no matter the subject material, it is always put out there in the most emphatic manner. He pours himself into singing these songs for you, his voice strains, the tempo of the songs are fast, and the lyrics are clever and poignant. I enjoy pretty much all of their songs, but I have a few personal favorites.
The first song by Third Eye Blind that I truly enjoy is from their first, self-titled album, released in the mid-nineties. The song is entitled London, and is upbeat, energetic and directed. Jenkins is telling the story of following a girl to London to be with her, but realizing upon arrival that she’s not in London to be with him, but rather to pursue others and lead her own life. It’s about a relationship gone sour, with it’s members changing in ways that fail to accommodate each other. It’s full of leftover feelings, desires and jealousies. It’s not a conventional sad sap song though, which is what makes it interesting and exciting. Instead, it’s a fast paced, up-tempo song, the raw emotion is evident in Stephen Jenkin’s voice, as he fights his way through the verses. It’s a unique approach to expressing unhappiness in song. Songs like this are, for me, what make Third Eye Blind unique. They are unconventional, and break the traditional mold of expression. It’s a sad song, fundamentally, about the end of a wonderful thing that made someone very happy. But it’s not purely a song of mourning, nor purely of anger. It runs the gambit of emotions that we all feel at the end of a relationship like that, from anger, to disappointment both in yourself and your partner, and finally sadness and acceptance of the situation. It’s a truthful song, it doesn’t idolize the relationship, it doesn’t simply express anger at the other person. It’s full of resentment, but it’s not necessarily all directed at the ex-girlfriend. Stephen is obviously also upset with himself for ignoring his instincts and following the girl to London. It’s a complex song, conveying a lot of different emotions all at once, without mixing the message. It’s not an organized song, which is precisely why it works.
For me, this is what makes Third Eye Blind so talented; they convey emotions without prejudice, without pride, and without holding anything back. They truly mastered the art of being honest with their audience. They don’t hold anything back, they tell a story, without hiding how they feel, they bare their feelings for their fans. Anyways that’s all I’ll talk about for now, hopefully you guys enjoy it, I’ll try to post some music by the band later on.
