Artist: Incubus
Title: If Not Now, When?
Genre: Alternative Rock
Release Date: 8th July 2011
Label: Sony BMG
Album Review
INCUBUS is one of those bands that have been around for some time (to be more precise 20 years) and are familiar enough to so many that there’s very little need for a lengthy introduction. They’ve been quiet since their last album, ‘Light Grenades’ which came out in 2006, according to Brandon Boyd they’ve been searching for a new, unique sound and trying to hone their composing abilities. The album yields music that is slower, more concentrated or less organic if you like, there’s not about xy number of other instruments or crossover of styles experimented with. In words of Boyd, the album’s idea was born out of: "I'm addicted to the news. There's so much at play right now, so many important, catastrophic, beautiful things. This idea 'If Not Now, When?' seems terribly poignant," he’s also stated about the album: "it's about love and finding art and success in love. I never know what I'm going to be writing about until I'm actually writing about it. It's what's relevant in my heart and mind. There's definitely a romantic undertone and overtone."
Though don’t expect anything profound or earth-shaking there, sometimes they entertain you by posing as such, you get a feeling that Boyd thinks we’re somewhat in a need of an education about what to make out of the news and the world we live in and what to do about our experience of love in these modern times, rather than a need to patronise it comes out just as a result of self-absorption. Just pretend you’re in that pseudo hippie Buddhist school to humour the messages here (there can be something endearing about naiveté) and listen to Guru Boyd or if it is right up your street, enjoy that aspect to the max, I guess! The album titled opener is still a link to their older sound, has much echoing of their mid tempo hits of before, so I can’t say it’s a complete divorce of their past and present or that they found something so divergent that you wouldn’t recognise them anymore. With the second track, ‘Promises, Promises’ something of a hunch comes to dawn - they must have been checking out older songs, there’s just something retro about it, maybe it’s the fact that their compositions are tighter, the way the instruments tie up with and around the piano. Though Boyd’s voice is more at the forefront and he seems to have matured somehow, he’s not showing off anything especially new from before. The change they so sought after is just a matter of approach really.
When it comes to highlights, personally ‘Isadore’ did it for me. The central melody is great, and I’ve enjoyed the classic guitar intro and the breaks from balladry feel into more raucous rock. Even though balladry it’s got something of their more raw energy of yesteryears there. ‘Switchblade’ is a contrast to the slowishness of the album, slightly punkish in places; it definitely enlivens the album and makes it more diverse. ‘Adolescents’ was released as a single, but frankly, it bores me to death. It’s INCUBUS by numbers ... the song possesses a far too calculated feel. The last track ‘Tomorrow’s Food’ is quite a yawner, musically a forgettable lullaby, based on yet even more of a yawner of ‘Integral Theory’. Well, each to their own! The oomph is on a much slower pulse and to those who had preferred their harder and faster material this album will be certainly disappointing, the overall mellow nature and lukewarm energy is not going to wash out with most of them. It’s a “love it” or “hate it” album, which is arguably better than the “I don’t give a shit about it” album.
Tracklist
01. If not now, when? – 5.05
02. Promises, Promises – 4.25
03. Friends and Lovers – 4.07
04. Thieves – 4.16
05. Isadore – 4.35
06. The Original – 5.05
07. Defiance – 2.19
08. The Company Of Wolves – 7.34
09. Switchblade – 3.27
10. Adolescents – 4.49
11. Tomorrow’s Food – 4.20
Line-up
Brandon Boyd – Lead vocals
Mike Einziger – Lead guitar, backing vocals
Ben Kenney – Bass, backing vocals
Chris Kilmore – Turntables, keyboards
Jose Pasillas II – Drums
Websites
http://www.enjoyincubus.com / http://www.myspace.com/incubus
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 7
Total: 7 / 10
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