It's been 6 long years since Third Eye Blind's last album, Out of the Vein, hit store shelves. That excruciatingly long wait finally concluded today when the band put out their 4th album entitled Ursa Major. A collection of tunes that have been played on the road for the last 3-5 years, U.M. showcases a number of great and well developed songs, as well as some numbers that probably should have remained out on the road. With the band's new generation of feverish fans comes a high level of expectations, and this album for the most part delivers the goods. However, despite being a very good record overall, little moments of Stephen Jenkins douchery sprinkled throughout the album prevent it from being great. On to the song-by-song analysis...
1. Can You Take Me - One of my favorite tracks on the album, this tune brings back the raging angst you get when you listen to such classics as Graduate and 1000 Julys. It's got a solid riff from guitarist Tony Ferdinelli and features Jenkins really singing out with some edge. A perfect example of 3eb's ability to write powerful, punchy rock anthems, Can You Take Me is the perfect choice to open the disc and is essentially a "welcome back" from the band. 9/10
2. Don't Believe A Word - The album's first single is yet another very upbeat song. Buoyed by a strong "The Who"-like intro, the song setles into an almost punk like groove with Jenkins spitting out lyrics in his signature rap/sing style. The lyrics are cheekily political and at times a bit cheesy, but you can't help put want to punch something (in a good way) when Jenkins snarls, "Gimme back my photos will you, You fucking whore I'll kill you!" 8/10
3. Bonfire - Having heard this song twice in concert, I had a feeling that this would be a special track. My favorite on the album, Bonfire has all the elements of a classic 3eb song. A wonderfully melodic guitar lick is supplemented with a catchy chant throughout as the song settles into a bouncy groove that eventually folds into a classic alt-rock chorus. It's just a breezy tune that is perfect for a summer night when you're reminiscing about the days of yore. Jenkins keeps returning to the refrain line "Everything's changing now...", which is a wonderfully relatable line for any person at any time in their life. Wonderful song. 10/10
4. Sharp Knife - Yet another great song, this tune rounds out a great 4 song run to start the album. A brooding guitar intro from Ferdinelli drives the song until a typically explosive and catchy 3eb chorus where Jenkins sings about escaping from all time lows. This song is the Wounded of Ursa Major and without a doubt a top 3 track on the album. Lyrically it is very strong (aside from a bizarre reference to an mp3 being out of juice)and musically it shines in showcasing a more moody and melodic side of the band. Another classic tune. 10/10
5. One in Ten - This is where the album takes a bizarre turn. One in Ten really has no place on this album or in music in general. A short acoustic-y number, here we see Jenkins lamenting the fact that the girl he wants is a lesbian. Filled with cringe inducing lyrics such as "What's the difference when it goes down?/If it's a girl or a guy, can't you just close your eyes?" Awful. After 6 years there had to be something better than this to put on here. 2/10
6. About to Break - Alright now we are back to good music. This song starts off slow and features a somewhat political message before bursting into an anthem-like chorus. Overall just a very strong tune with some great lead guitar work, About to Break is a very nice bounce back from One in Ten. There is however another puzzling lyric from Jenkins about lesbians that actually detracts from the song unfortunately. 7/10
7. Summer Town - Sigh. This song represents the biggest missed opportunity on Ursa Major. The main portion of the song is great. It has a great rhythm, an insanely catchy chorus, and strong lyrics about lamenting winter time in a summer town. Unfortunately, Jenkins felt it necessary to add a short unrelated intro, and an unforgivably aimless "rap" for the last minute and a half that brings the song down. This is a perfect example of Jenkins over thinking things and just being generally cheesy. Frankly I'd be embarrassed to play the end part of this song for my friends. Luckily there are programs like Audacity that make it easy to edit the intro and outro right out of the song. Middle part: 8/10 Overall song: 4/10
8. Why Can't You Be - Not much different than the Red Star EP version, Why Can't You Be is another strong acoustic based tune on this album. There are definitely some questionable lyrics about masturbating with a water massager and blowjobs, but it is still a very solid song overall. 7/10
9. Water Landing - Definitely the hidden gem of this album, Water Landing features some fantastic lyrics from Jenkins. He ingenuously compares the end of a relationship to surviving a plane crash with a string of fantastic metaphors and wonderful imagery. The line "She uses boys like bandages, but the wounds remain the same" may be my favorite on the album. Musically and lyrically it is a great 3eb song and it fits in wonderfully with the better material in their catalog. 9/10
10. Dao of St. Paul - This is another great song, but marks a point where the album begins to feel a bit repetitive. There are too many songs that begin with Jenkins singing over a basic acoustic guitar progression. Nevertheless, the melody is top notch and this song builds to an amazingly powerful ending with a choir repeatedly chanting "Evermore, rejoice". It is yet another very strong track and the lyrics are once again very strong. 8/10
11. Monotov's Private Opera - Another acoustic-y song?!? Yes, but it is another good one. This is a quieter tune but again features the choir at the end. This song sort of lulls you to sleep in a good way, and is a strong close to the album. It remains one of the more unchanged numbers that the band had played on the road, and I'm sure hardcore's will be pleased with the way that it turned out. 7/10
12. Carnival Barker (Instrumental) - This track is pointless. Having heard the full 7 minute version demo, putting 1:30 of the song on here seems unnecessary and it isn't even a good part of the song. Allegedly this will be the first track of Ursa Minor, lyrics and all. We shall see...
Overall I really enjoy this album. Although it is probably Jenkin's worst album lyrically, the music is great and he puts forth a great effort in some songs. I would say that it rivals Out of the Vein as the band's third best album (Self Titled and Blue are untouchable). Although it might not be their best album, it is a very strong effort and honestly somewhat better than I expected with all the delays it went through over the last 6 years. Here's to hoping that we won't have to wait another half decade for a new album from this great band.
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