It’s been some time since Incubus appeared on these pages – and
\npart of that is my fault. Since we reviewed
\nS.C.I.E.N.C.E.<\/i>, Brandon Boyd and crew have become darlings
\nof the alternative scene thanks to their hit “Drive” – a song
\nwhich, by the way, is deserving of all the attention it’s been
\ngarnering. Meanwhile, my copy of
\nMake Yourself<\/i>, the latest full-length release from the band,
\nhas been gathering dust in the Pierce Memorial Archives.<\/p>\n
It’s enough to make me want to kick my own ass – especially
\nafter finally getting to this disc and discovering just how
\nincredible it is.<\/p>\n
Take all of the intensity of recent alternative hit groups such
\nas Limp Bizkit, and filter out much of the rage. Now, combine that
\nend result with the smooth funk of Red Hot Chili Peppers, then add
\non an unidentified floating head which has become the band’s
\nmascot. (I
\nstill<\/i> say that looks like Mark Spitz.)<\/p>\n
If you think for even a moment that the overall power of the
\nmusic and lyrical delivery is diminished by toning down the rage –
\nwell, think again, Lumpy. Boyd and crew seem to realize that their
\ntrue power lies in the credo that less is more. Songs such as
\n“Nowhere Fast,” “Privilege” and “Pardon Me” all are proof of
\nthis.<\/p>\n
Yet there is enough raw emotion in the lyrics to set the
\nspeakers ablaze, whether it’s paying attention to everything
\nhappening around you (“Consequence” – sample lyric: “Blink.
\nEverything’s been augmented, you’ve been left so far behind.”) to
\nbucking popular thought and being an individual (“When It Comes” –
\nsample lyric: Just when you thought it was safe to think, in comes
\nmental piracy! \/ What I’m looking for cannot be sold to me.”)<\/p>\n
A word of caution, though: While I am no advocate of the
\n“Parental Advisory” sticker, parents should be aware that the
\nlanguage does get a tad rough, even if it does fit the situation at
\ntimes. An example is on the title track: “So when I make me, I
\nwon’t be papier-mache. And if I fuck me… I’ll fuck me in my own
\nway.” Get past the language use, and the message of shaping
\nyourself into what you believe in, and not what you’re told you
\nshould be, comes through brighter than a 10,000-watt lightbulb.<\/p>\n
The overall benefit that Incubus has on
\nMake Yourself<\/i> is that the music not only sounds fresh to the
\nears (dipping into the pool of pure rage only once, at the close of
\n“Out From Under”), but that this disc is genuinely fun to listen
\nto. If anything, this disc is the proof that Incubus has paid its
\ndues, and is ready to take the main stage in the public’s eye. Let
\nthere be no doubt;
\nMake Yourself<\/i> is a strong statement that shows this band is
\nready and able to meet the challenge.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[6079],"rating":[5613],"class_list":["post-39478","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-incubus","rating-rating-a-minus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/39478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39478"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/39478\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28084"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=39478"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=39478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}