Blue isn’t a better album than Third Eye Blind’s self-titled debut (it was an impossible task as soon as the former was released), but it certainly is a better album relative to the commercial and critical success it received in comparison to its artistic accomplishments. Put another way, whenever anyone thinks of 3EB they think of their self titled debut and nothing more. I actually had a friend say to me a few months ago “3EB really was a one hit wonder with that first album weren’t they” and I nearly fell out of my chair. I’ll put Blue’s first six songs (“Anything” through “1,000 Julys”) up against any album on Planet Earth and I’d be hard-pressed to top it. They’re simply that good.
Lead singer and songwriter Stephan Jenkins is probably the finest songwriter in the 90’s. His lyrical witticism and storytelling capabilities are so far past anything his peers have done that it’s almost unfair to compare them. What I think Jenkins so uniquely capable is his ability to navigate incredibly complex subject matter like sexual assault (“Wounded”) and unwanted pregnancies (“10 Days Late”) in a way that is both intellectually and emotionally stimulating, while not feeling overwrought. The same applies for his sexual double entendres like on “Deep Inside Of You” which meditates on lust and nostalgic longing. The man clearly spends a lot of his time thinking about sex, and in another writers hands there’s a real tendency for it to feel forced. But Jenkins, through his vocal melodies and wordplay, makes the whole thing feel incredibly human and passionate in a way that transcends the simple feeling of lust and elevates it into something more meaningful.
Despite going platinum at the time Blue never truly received the flowers it deserved critically in the 25 years since its release, but make no mistake– this is an incredible album from one of the best 90’s alternative rock bands to ever do it.
Standout Songs: “Anything”, “Wounded”, “10 Days Late”, “Deep Inside of You”, “1,000 Julys”, “Never Let You Go”, “Farther”
