Third Eye Blind Review The Singles

"This kid's got potential."

When Elektra swooped to sign Third Eye Blind the band were snapped up for what was reported to be the largest deal ever offered to an unsigned act.

That act of faith has proved to be some quite canny business. The band have since sold more than 12 million records across the globe, during a career which has resulted in more gold discs than you can shake a stick at.

New album 'Dopamine' is out in October with the San Francisco group gearing up for a massive world tour.

Ahead of this, long time leader Stephan Jenkins agreed to take a look over this week's releases.

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George Ezra – 'Barcelona'

Maybe it's the title 'Barcelona' but the latin shaker combined with that single-note fender twin guitar line evokes the sweet luxury of missing home on warm vacations abroad. George Ezra might have the best teeth in the world, but he sings from some place way back where smoke and blues come from that belies his fair-eyed mug. This song is Rosé, olive oil, and sea salt in the late afternoon sun when you can't decide if you're going to go out or just chill and let the day fade.

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Alexa Goddard – 'We Broke The Sky'

That sixteen bit sample piano and triple compression singing over the syncopation like Adele sped up 1.3x. Alexa Goddard sings like you want your girlfriend to sing or the girl you want to be, depending. This song is for that rare and singular act of dancing alone. Don't you just love it when you're inspired to dance by yourself? For this activity Alexa Goddard is your girl, either way.

Oh it's so retro. I'm not totally sure they meant it, but filter sweeps and breakbeats make me nostalgic for some euro club scene that I never actually experienced. By chorus two I realize I'm seeing the credits roll on a film set in London that involved rain, risk, and love interrupted. Starring me.

One more thing: when I listen to this song, in my mind, it's Mila Kunis singing to me with heaps upon heaps of eyeliner and hair the color of a splattered inkwell. With that said, how the fuck could Alexis Goddard be a blonde?

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Enemies – 'Play Fire'

They're smarter than me, which is unnerving. I'm 37 seconds into the track and they've already layered the Christ out of it – everyone adding their tasty bit. By the time the vocal comes in at 1:01 I'm in a room filled with people not only smarter but more sensitive than me and they're all dancing. Oh God. Just how much more do they actually know than me? Do I fit in here? Am I being accepted? Not only that, they sound really nice, like the kind of people who value what they have and aren't striving for more (oh how I hate those people!).

Tasty drum licks arrive unadvertised with vocal scales equally humbly presented. But soft! In the rebuild I sense an invitation. Strains of Bon Iver in the vocal suggest I too could be part of this party. They're saying something in the vocal, I know it's not exactly 'I am Spartacus,' but it sounds like that and there's something that evokes invitation for collective identity.

You ever notice how white people never dance at concerts? I think 'Play Fire' played live could actually get them to engage, and that is an accomplishment. There's something Sting-y in this track, but if Sting's lumberousness were replaced by enthusiasm and was actually pleasant.

The song is better than the video, where the closeups with the facial hair evoke a talking vagina. Clearly the Director insisted on absolute seriousness when addressing the camera. There's scarves everywhere. And I don't know why but it's in a barn. Anyway I really liked it.

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Demi Lovato – 'Cool For The Summer'

Demi Lovato is going to clean up in Vegas. If she isn't opening for Kaskade yet, she will. 'Cool for the Summer' is the dark side 'Teenage Dream' reverberated off a metal wall. Ms. Lovato sings "I got my mind on your body and your body on my mind," which is bordering on a lawsuit from Snoop Dogg, but whatever.

"Got a taste of the cherry, I just need to take a bite." Is this a mixed metaphor? Something tells me I should just give up on listening to the lyrics right now and focus on the bump. Onward. Oh shit, now it breaks into a monster buzz, almost dubstep bass and I feel like the joke's on me for actually paying attention to the lyrics. Let's jam goddamnit! Second verse same as the first. And that's fine. Because this song is sexy.

Here I go again back to the lyrics. Ms. Lovato exhorts "we're cool for the summer!" but the urgency of this song is more akin to four minutes in a bathroom stall with someone you just met a rave and let's all be honest – that's got it's appeal. It's kind of like Katy Perry if she was in a post Left-Shark nasty bitch mood.

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Disclosure ft. Sam Smith – 'Omen'

I love the sound of when you can't tell if the beat is straight or swinged and it makes you feel you're secretly on drugs. 'Omen' is a down dirty disco track with a natural handclap, reminiscent of the sound of an ass-slap. Whoever the singer is, this kid's got potential. A combination of earthiness and facility. If this song does not become a dancefloor hit, it's because the promo department fucked up.

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