Incubus: A Crow Left of the Murder
After over two years and much internal strife, Incubus dropped a new album with new bassist Ben Kenney (formerly of The Roots), making the third unique lineup for the band. Obviously, it's been a dark couple of years as the introverted musings of Morning View were replaced with the bitter accusations of Megalomaniac, Sick Sad Little World, Pistola, Priceless, Zee Deveel, and Leech. Even more focus has been placed on frontman Brandon Boyd's likening to a modern John Lennon: a book of his art and poetry came out at the same time as the new album, and he's making the magazine cover rounds once more as one of the hottest guys in rock music today. All the joy Boyd once found in the world has obviously been sucked out of him, leaving the band's lyrics witty as ever but lacking a certain optimism found in all their previous albums. Here's the song by song breakdown:
Megalomaniac - the lead track, the lead single. The epitomization of the new album and the new sound of Incubus. Still heavy, still has Boyd's signature power in the high range and guitarist Mike Einziger's jazzified power chords, and yet all the joy's gone. "Hey megalomaniac, you're no Jesus, yeah you're no fucking Elvis."
A Crow Left of the Murder - Every time I hear this song, I hear Everclear's "California King" in the verse. More angry lyrics. But I like the sound of Kenney's bass.
Agoraphobia - Fear of open, public places. "I wanna stay inside / I wanna stay inside for good." Pretty downtempo, reminds me of "Just a Phase" from Morning View.
Talk Shows on Mute - This song has a little more pop in it. But yet another dark, depressing message mocking our world's dry existence.
Beware! Criminal - I genuinely like this song. It's got the harder edge of older Incubus. The chorus not only oddly reminds me of Weezer's Green Album, but it kind of epitomizes the new face of the band: "You're down / but not out / and far from done." I started to wonder if it should have been over at the end of Morning View.
Sick Sad Little World - It's got the authentic rage of the rest of the album, and while the verse is a massive turn-off, but the chorus just plain kicks. "Leave me here in my / star-craving sick sad little world" cries Boyd, probably on account of all the anger the band felt over his huge celebrity status as a teen icon back in the Morning View era.
Pistola - I truly don't get this song.
Southern Girl - The ballad of the CD. Make Yourself had I Miss You, Morning View had Mexico. This has a mellowed, jazzy guitar lick underneath Boyd's teasing lyrics: "We'll behave like animals / swing from tree to tree." I went ahead and learned this song in a weekend for an audition (the Ransom Notes audition I wrote about before) and I'm really glad I did it. I just got into this song. If you only listen to one track on the CD, make it this one. Probably.
Priceless - Back to the loud, harsh sound of the first half of the CD. It borders on punk. The lyrics sound more like old Incubus, at least.
Zee Deveel - This song screams Toadies. Just listen. I mean it. And Boyd practically screams too, on the loud, emotive chorus. It's a keeper.
Made for TV Movie - Much like Agoraphobia, but a little heavier and sadder in tone. The music makes you feel like you should be dreading the future, and then you hear the words "I'm witnessing history repeating." Like the last few Incubus CDs (well, Morning View on), the last few songs just feel like they all go together and make a good ending to the CD. This song starts that closing bunch of songs here.
Smile Lines - The music is Incubus enough, but suddenly the observation stops being witty (like in Just a Phase) the words starts talking about immaturity and then it takes a pause on "I understand why they say high school never stopped." I don't like this whole Jaded Incubus thing. But then the song softens. And it all turns around with...
Here in My Room - Love it. For all the evil and darkness and lack of color in the world that this album finds, Incubus rediscovers love and introduces the piano in their huge instrumental repertoire in the process. You hear evil in the background, behind these emotive piano chords that pull you through the whole song and the huge contrast in Boyd's mind between the black-and-white world and his Technicolor girl. "If the world would fall apart / in a fiction-worthy wind / I wouldn't change a thing / now that you're here." This song should have ended the album. After listening to twelve songs of impending doom, Boyd saves the girl from the Apocalypse and stops time while the CD player ticks seconds by. After 4 minutes and twenty seconds' worth of frozen time, the world finally comes crashing down when the song ends. But for all the pain the band (and your loyal listener) have experienced with A Crow Left of the Murder, it was all worth it for just this song.
Leech - Back to the standard fare for the album. Like the way "Out from Under" finished Make Yourself, the band goes out with a bang. But it keeps asking, "The ride's over / Did you enjoy yourself?" And I'm sad once more. If this was what we waited for, I regret it. When I heard the end of Morning View those two years ago, I finished with Aqueous Transmission and felt like that was just the end. The end of Incubus. Sure enough, we heard soon thereafter that the band was entering group therapy and I thought I was right. But here's a new album, and in a sense, my idea was right. The Incubus we came to know and love since 8th grade died and brought this album back from the grave. Thankfully, there was a gem to be found in Here in My Room. But Incubus, please quit. I mean it. I'm betting that Brandon Boyd will go solo whenever this dead horse quits being beaten; he's got too much artistic value to be abandoned. And if they do keep making music as a group, I'll keep listening - but I have a strong conviction it'll never move me in the same way as the Incubus of my high-school youth. The Avalanches
The first time I got hooked on Since I Left You, it was in the spring of junior year. Now every time I hear the album I have memories of adventures with The Guys and discovering the greatness of Apex. But strangely, I find myself only really seriously listening to the album in the springtime. Does anyone listen to music seasonally like I'm finding myself doing? Outkast 101
Bad
Huge single: Hey Ya
Member of duo: Andre 3000
Album: The Love Below Good
Huge single: Way You Move
Member of duo: Big Boi
Album: Speakerboxxx Seriously, Speakerboxxx kicks major ass. I'm not huge enough into hiphop to put this one under the microscope, but here's a list of songs I think have a sweet-ass sound:
Unhappy
The Way You Move
Rooster (in a party-song kind of way)
Church
Flip Flop Rock (Jay-Z, sweet guitar riffs, and a friggin hard beat are a dangerously badass mix)
Reset
Last Call (for the Lil' Jon fans in the house) And that finally does it for the hugest music post I've ever made. If you make it this far, you win.
A Crow Left of the Murder - Every time I hear this song, I hear Everclear's "California King" in the verse. More angry lyrics. But I like the sound of Kenney's bass.
Agoraphobia - Fear of open, public places. "I wanna stay inside / I wanna stay inside for good." Pretty downtempo, reminds me of "Just a Phase" from Morning View.
Talk Shows on Mute - This song has a little more pop in it. But yet another dark, depressing message mocking our world's dry existence.
Beware! Criminal - I genuinely like this song. It's got the harder edge of older Incubus. The chorus not only oddly reminds me of Weezer's Green Album, but it kind of epitomizes the new face of the band: "You're down / but not out / and far from done." I started to wonder if it should have been over at the end of Morning View.
Sick Sad Little World - It's got the authentic rage of the rest of the album, and while the verse is a massive turn-off, but the chorus just plain kicks. "Leave me here in my / star-craving sick sad little world" cries Boyd, probably on account of all the anger the band felt over his huge celebrity status as a teen icon back in the Morning View era.
Pistola - I truly don't get this song.
Southern Girl - The ballad of the CD. Make Yourself had I Miss You, Morning View had Mexico. This has a mellowed, jazzy guitar lick underneath Boyd's teasing lyrics: "We'll behave like animals / swing from tree to tree." I went ahead and learned this song in a weekend for an audition (the Ransom Notes audition I wrote about before) and I'm really glad I did it. I just got into this song. If you only listen to one track on the CD, make it this one. Probably.
Priceless - Back to the loud, harsh sound of the first half of the CD. It borders on punk. The lyrics sound more like old Incubus, at least.
Zee Deveel - This song screams Toadies. Just listen. I mean it. And Boyd practically screams too, on the loud, emotive chorus. It's a keeper.
Made for TV Movie - Much like Agoraphobia, but a little heavier and sadder in tone. The music makes you feel like you should be dreading the future, and then you hear the words "I'm witnessing history repeating." Like the last few Incubus CDs (well, Morning View on), the last few songs just feel like they all go together and make a good ending to the CD. This song starts that closing bunch of songs here.
Smile Lines - The music is Incubus enough, but suddenly the observation stops being witty (like in Just a Phase) the words starts talking about immaturity and then it takes a pause on "I understand why they say high school never stopped." I don't like this whole Jaded Incubus thing. But then the song softens. And it all turns around with...
Here in My Room - Love it. For all the evil and darkness and lack of color in the world that this album finds, Incubus rediscovers love and introduces the piano in their huge instrumental repertoire in the process. You hear evil in the background, behind these emotive piano chords that pull you through the whole song and the huge contrast in Boyd's mind between the black-and-white world and his Technicolor girl. "If the world would fall apart / in a fiction-worthy wind / I wouldn't change a thing / now that you're here." This song should have ended the album. After listening to twelve songs of impending doom, Boyd saves the girl from the Apocalypse and stops time while the CD player ticks seconds by. After 4 minutes and twenty seconds' worth of frozen time, the world finally comes crashing down when the song ends. But for all the pain the band (and your loyal listener) have experienced with A Crow Left of the Murder, it was all worth it for just this song.
Leech - Back to the standard fare for the album. Like the way "Out from Under" finished Make Yourself, the band goes out with a bang. But it keeps asking, "The ride's over / Did you enjoy yourself?" And I'm sad once more. If this was what we waited for, I regret it. When I heard the end of Morning View those two years ago, I finished with Aqueous Transmission and felt like that was just the end. The end of Incubus. Sure enough, we heard soon thereafter that the band was entering group therapy and I thought I was right. But here's a new album, and in a sense, my idea was right. The Incubus we came to know and love since 8th grade died and brought this album back from the grave. Thankfully, there was a gem to be found in Here in My Room. But Incubus, please quit. I mean it. I'm betting that Brandon Boyd will go solo whenever this dead horse quits being beaten; he's got too much artistic value to be abandoned. And if they do keep making music as a group, I'll keep listening - but I have a strong conviction it'll never move me in the same way as the Incubus of my high-school youth. The Avalanches
The first time I got hooked on Since I Left You, it was in the spring of junior year. Now every time I hear the album I have memories of adventures with The Guys and discovering the greatness of Apex. But strangely, I find myself only really seriously listening to the album in the springtime. Does anyone listen to music seasonally like I'm finding myself doing? Outkast 101
Bad
Huge single: Hey Ya
Member of duo: Andre 3000
Album: The Love Below Good
Huge single: Way You Move
Member of duo: Big Boi
Album: Speakerboxxx Seriously, Speakerboxxx kicks major ass. I'm not huge enough into hiphop to put this one under the microscope, but here's a list of songs I think have a sweet-ass sound:
Unhappy
The Way You Move
Rooster (in a party-song kind of way)
Church
Flip Flop Rock (Jay-Z, sweet guitar riffs, and a friggin hard beat are a dangerously badass mix)
Reset
Last Call (for the Lil' Jon fans in the house) And that finally does it for the hugest music post I've ever made. If you make it this far, you win.
