A Bridge

You often find things you were looking for when you weren't looking for them. Sounds cliche right? When laying the groundwork for this blog I felt that I had it thoroughly planned out in a "written down on a restaurant napkin” fashion. Posts were flowing from my brain until I hit a block. It happens. I wouldn't say it was writer's block, but I was coming up on a transition. I needed a "bridge" post. We all know what a bridge is in everyday life. A bridge in music is loosely defined as a section of music that helps a song reach its resolution. I'm nowhere near the end of this blog, but I needed a bridge.

Being a fan of music and growing up in the 90s, everything seemed to evolve so fast. Technology, trends, genres - really just about everything. And then I felt, all of that cultural momentum slowed down towards the end of high school. For me, that momentum slowed due to priorities and just becoming more self-aware. Essentially - growing pains. As the Drake song title states, I was "In My Feelings". I kept thinking to myself what was one album that defined the transition from happy-go-lucky kid to surviving high school and transitioning to college?

We all have that guilty pleasure when it comes to music. It may be an artist, a song, or an album. Think back to your playlists that you may have running through your head. You have a guilty pleasure. I don't think my guilty pleasure is really that embarrassing, but I feel it is definitely a very underappreciated album. Give it a listen and I think you'll agree. I was driving to work the other day and the 90's on 9 was dialed in. A quiet glance out the window as I drove through campus and then BOOM! it hit me. I had my bridge and it was Third Eye Blind's first album

I may be going out on a limb with this one, but the first Third Eye Blind album is absolutely incredible. Many of you will agree. This album was a bridge for me in high school. It was post-grunge alternative, but pre-soft alternative and emo. It was before I got into Dave Matthews Band/Ben Harper/Jack Johnson/Rusted Root and the list goes on. To put it simply it was a bridge between Pearl Jam and Dashboard Confessional or Nirvana and Matchbox 20. Lyrically, the album is heavy, but I feel it describes a lot of the experiences of a teenager in transition. The poppy feel of the album really masks some serious content. The album is that splash your face with water and stare in the mirror or just laying on your bed and staring at the ceiling. It was your parents telling you to get a job/being urged to complete a college application/your circle of friends shrinking/a girl rejecting you/depression - just all that comes with adolescence. Semi-Charmed Life, Jumper, Graduate, How's It Going To Be, Losing A Whole Year - all of these songs represent the highs and lows of growing up to me. Besides Weezer's El Scorcho, the introduction to Third Eye Blind's Graduate is my second favorite introduction of all time. I think I repeated that line all the time in high school and college. 

Third Eye Blind's first album was an important bridge for me and one that I did not realize until I was halfway through my 30's. It hold's the same significance for me that Modest Mouse's Good News for People Who Love Bad News does. Music that just helps you get through some tough times. Music isn't always meant to evoke positive emotions, but can also be a powerful reminder that you've made it through some tough times. A bridge from one place to another.