This was released in 1997, which would now be twelve years ago. I remember being friends with a guy from work at that time at the age of 17. The guy was a guitar freak and he played a song from this album called Semi-Charmed Life. You may have heard of it, you might not have done. It didn't reach the level of audience it did the US. Anybody who might have heard it over here would have discovered it through a friend, through their own research and perhaps as one of the songs off American Pie. That, in itself, is a crime.
This album is phenomenal. It is twelve years old, but still feels as fresh and vibrant as it did at the time of purchase. Every song is a hit. That's the honest truth. There are plenty of albums that I own which I bought for only a few songs. Its always the case. There's always 'filler' material, which is nowhere near as good as the songs that made you buy it in the first place. Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head is one of those albums. This one isn't.
The lyrical complexity is outstanding and the music is tailored to what is being said. Many bands do this, but I have never heard any that do it as well as Third Eye Blind. Loss, frustration, sympathy...they are all expressed here. The guitar work is similar to the Edge from U2 and the basslines are subtle. Semi-Charmed Life is a great song, its one enduring legacy, which is sad because it isn't even in the top three of songs on this album. Those accolades go to the final three songs - 'The Background', 'Motorcycle Drive By' and 'The God of Wine'. 'The Background' is haunting and melodic and the God of Wine is in a similar vein. The best song is number 13. The acoustic work is intimate and the words are in such harmony as to be symbiotic. I defy anyone not get a shiver halfway through the song, when the rock kicks in.
It is soft-rock, make no mistake. It is excellently produced, which might anger the fans of the more raw material out there. However, it is by far the best album that I own, and while other albums that I have bought have gathered dust on the shelf, this is one I keep coming back to. It has never lost is relevance. Its the best debut album that I have ever heard.