Incubus: Morning View

Morning View is the follow-up to Incubus’ incredibly successful third studio album, Make Yourself. Despite their sell-out hit, “Drive,” with its acoustic accompaniment and self-motivating lyrics, Incubus have largely been compared to angrier, more aggressive bands like the Foo Fighters and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But it seems that the prospect of commercial success has gone to Incubus’ collective heads, and on View, the raw energy of their early work is reworked and toned down into something more accessible.

This is not necessarily a bad thing, since the band have diversified their musical range; the best songs save the head-banging guitar riffs for the climax. “Just a Phase” and “Warning” are both nicely constructed examples of this. The first single, “Wish You Were Here,” also integrates the balladic, acoustic verse and the washing guitar-driven chorus successfully. But there are also some strange consequences of this diversification. The last song on the record, “Aqueous Transmission,” is an eight-minute head trip accompanied by mandolin and fading strings, and sits uncomfortably among the more honest rock songs that comprise much of the album. On View, lead singer Brandon Boyd is at his most introspective. He expresses love, loss, contemplation and joy in a more visceral way than most new metal bands. The album has its share of hits and misses, but it also presents a new, very appealing Incubus—the sensitive, lovable pin-up boys of rage rock.

Incubus

Morning View

Epic Records