Ursa Major
| Third Eye Blind
Ursa Major
Ursa Major is the fourth studio album by American rock band Third Eye Blind. Released on August 18, 2009 on the group's own Mega Collider label, Ursa Major was the group's first studio album in over six years. The first single from the album was "Don't Believe a Word", which debuted on the radio June 5, 2009. -Wikipedia
Critic Reviews
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Consequence of Sound
The fact is, Ursa Major is a good record. It isn’t the band’s best by a long stretch, and it won’t set the bar for any albums to follow. It’s simply a good time, and sometimes that’s all you need as the summer comes to a close.
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Slant Magazine
Such is the compulsion of Ursa Major‘s seductive sound. It’s slick music for the last remaining gasps of a thoughtless summer, and a perfect foil for the rote bumbling and forced grandiosity of other similarly aged bands’ comeback offerings.
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Billboard
Third Eye Blind, complete with singer/guitarist Stephan Jenkins' trademark hip-hop-cadenced verses and a fist-pumping singalong chorus. "Bonfire" and "Summer Town" are breezy, bouncy anthems, while the slow burner "Monotov's Private Opera" combines delicate acoustic guitar with pitter-patter percussion and Jenkins' hushed vocals.
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Sputnik Music
8/13/2009 Ursa Major does give you a fair share of their energetic spits tied with their unbelievable ability to make you feel at home in a dismal world. All too many tracks have a great plan, but fail to engage the listener like they used to as heard in the old punk attempt.
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Washington Post
It's not an endearing trait, and 3EB hasn't lost it. "Ursa Major" is its best album since their debut; it manages to be both thoroughly good and not at all likable. It's brainy and brawny and uncharacteristically vigorous, with credible forays into thrashy rock,
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EW
Stephan Jenkins’ way with a hook has dimmed little since the band’s mid-’90s heyday. The clunky lyrics are another thing, like in ska-rocker “Don’t Believe a Word” when Jenkins sings “Rap stars brag about shooting each other?/ What ever happened to ‘Brother, brother’??” It simply doesn’t get any worse than that.
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All Music
the group can craft a naggingly memorable hook, as evidenced by the single "Semi-Charmed Life," but they aren't always able to fashion them into songs. Still, Third Eye Blind is easy on the ears, and its straight-ahead professionalism makes it a pleasurable listen for post-grungers.
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Pop Matters
The band, has not forgotten what it takes to make a worthwhile CD, and if anything, they've only improved their craft over the last six years.
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Deadpress UK
Third Eye Blind are a poor man’s Tenacious D without the laughs or the decently written material. Treat this release as if it can transmit bubonic nastiness and stay the hell away.
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Huntington News
While it’s not as fresh as Third Eye Blind’s eponymous debut and follow-up, Blue, Ursa Major packs a punch with lyrical depth, powerful guitar and an overall quality of sound that is impressive for a band coming off such a long hiatus.
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Slacker
Stephan Jenkins doesn't just rely on hooks, he retains no small element of the hard-edged social consciousness of Out of the Vein, signaling when it's time for things to get serious by toning down the hooks, turning down the volume, and letting the seriousness of the situation speak for itself.
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Seattle Times
It’s been a while, but Third Eye Blind hasn’t forgotten how to lay down a strong record.
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Popdose
Ursa spreads its charms across its dozen tracks rather than shooting its wad on one terrific single, which is fortunate, because singles no longer matter; as a result, it may very well be the band’s best — or at the very least, most consistently enjoyable — album.
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LA Times Blog
Will "Ursa Major" catch on commercially in the new digital age? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, expect its charms to echo for a while.
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Rock Sound
Leave your seriousface at the door Jenkins, life’s more fun when it’s loud.
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OC Weekly
The songs are heartfelt and honest-feeling. The biggest problems here are the hooks, which aren't as nearly as mesmerizing as those peppering the band's first two outings.
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Earn This
They’re eschewing the traditional way in which musicians relate to the public. This record wants to kick off a new era; not of what music is, but of how it is communicated.
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Enter the Shell
Ursa Major is worth a listen to anyone who was a fan of the band back in the late 90’s when they were at their prime. The music itself is typical Third Eye Blind, which is definitely a good thing.
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Rock Freaks
Still though, apart from the rapped track, this has a rock solid level of quality, is as easily accessible as can be, and like always, gives no reason for anyone to not like Third Eye Blind.
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