So we all have the one album that gets us into the type of music we listen to. We're all partial to one style of music or bands and then we find one that changes our entire outlook on music. They branch us off into a new style or genre; they make us want to hear more bands like them or just hear more from them. For me that band was the first band I ever saw live, and the first real "rockish," band I had experience with.

The band was Third Eye Blind and the album was self-titled.

This album was one of the first I ever purchased, and, like I said, they were the first live band I ever saw. I think everyone remembers them, and I'm pretty confident that if "Semi-Charmed Life" were to come on, whether you knew they lyrics or not, you would sing along with the "do do do, do do do dooooo." Don't pretend that you wouldn't.

I remember seeing these guys with my mother. In hindsight, I have to credit this concert for the bond her and I have to this day. She was the person who got me into music. Whether I was underage or not, she would take me to all the best concerts. It's really nice because in a few months I'm going to the Bamboozle tour in New Jersey and she's coming too. It'll be the first concert we've been to in a few years, and as fate would have it, one of the headlining bands is Third Eye Blind.

I chose Third Eye Blind for my perfect album review because of it's role in my growth as a person and for it's overall expansion of my musical taste.

The album is pretty upbeat, or at least a good portion of it has an upbeat tempo. If you wanted to know what the state of alternative rock was in the late 90's, look no further. I recommend this band--especially this CD--over the likes of other alternative giants like the Spin Doctors, Goo Goo Dolls, Sugar Ray etc.

The CD opens up with "Losing A Whole Year," a slow strum of a guitar met with Stephen Jenkins screaming " I Remember you and me used to spend the whole God damned day in bed," and we're off.

Their second track "Narcolepsy," is one of my favorites because of the pace it keeps. It has a slow burning guitar playing a very simple repetitive riff while the drums slowly roll in. As the song builds to the chorus you can hear it in Stephen's voice that you're about to get hit. Hard. His voice increases in intensity as he chats " I can feel this narcolepsy slide......into another nightMARE," the guitars come crashing down and the tempo speeds up. You feel the transition from sleeping to nightmare. This goes back and fourth a few times until the song ends with a nice guitar solo (personally, I feel, a must).

Even though "Semi-Charmed Life," is a big single for the CD, I feel like "Jumper," hit bigger and left more of impact. Maybe it was the lyrics, maybe it's the message, or perhaps just how the song has a somber tone yet they still try to keep it upbeat--hopeful even. It's obvious that this is a friend really reaching out to someone close to them.

"CAN I GRADUATE!" kicks off the song "Graduate," and the way it's screamed out seems more like an act of defiance versus a question. This is a great song to just rock out to at parties or with your friends. If anything, it's easy to learn. If the simple lines prove too difficult to remember, you can always just scream " CAN I GRADUATE!"

Their third single "How's It Going To Be," seems to be the ballad of the album, or at least the ballad that was released to the airwaves. It's a nice quiet response to "Graduate."

"Thanks A Lot," is a bit darker in the lyrical sense and the song itself has a much harsher tone to it. The song opens with a riff that leads to a guitar slide that is very very close to the opening slide to "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," which only could be a good thing, am I right? I think my fellow Buffy fans would agree. The standout line for me was always "I woke you up and I slit the throat of your confidence." I really can't pinpoint why, but that gory visual always hit home for me (see my first review of Saves The Day to see a similar interest in gory lyrics).

"London," is my favorite when it comes to the catchy songs. I have the most fun signing this one, and I love the chorus, "I don't wanna go to London." If you can't sing along with this song then there's something really really wrong with you.

Then comes my favorite song off the entire album, " I Want You." The perfect tune for an angsty teen. It's a slower song but not slow like "How's It Going To Be." There are sexual references galore and the lyrics ooze of desire and longing. Though the tempo speeds up at points the song can't be confused as poppy and upbeat. There's a passion in his voice--a sense of urgency like he needs her right now more then he ever did. I feel like its about letting go of restraint and just indulging in whomever you're there with. We all die eventually so before the worms come why not just let go and enjoy one another?

I hope you guys pick this album up. It means a lot to me; it swayed me from crappy nu-metal to a more refined sound. Third Eye Blind has a special place in my heart as well as an important place in the 90's, but seeing as it's 2009 and I can still listen to it without skipping a track, there's got to be more to it than just being my soundtrack to a decade.