Incubus? That band from the 90s is still around?
Yes, and after their last studio album release, Incubus is stronger than ever.
Incubus continues to make an interesting niche for itself in the musical world with their sixth studio album “Light Grenades.” The album continues to illustrate Incubus’s style, through innovative lyrics and varying levels of tempo and energy. The selection of tracks for the album is pure genius because the band maintains the aura of being hard, yet sentimental simultaneously.
Mostly, the CD is organized as a mix of spontaneous, edgy and raw sounds, which somehow fit into place. The progression of tracks will take you on a roller coaster of energy levels; a good listen if you aren’t feeling especially depressed or extremely excited.
The presence of producer Brendan O’Brien adds distinguished respect to “Light Grenades,” when compared to their last CD, “A Crow Left of the Murder.” O’Brien helped Incubus take on the new album right where “A Crow Left of the Murder” left off, while also inspiring the band to conjuring a newer, more eclectic sound.
Boyd, the lead singer, has said that “Light Grenades” is a very new perspective for Incubus. They are working, once again, with ‘Super Producer’ O’Brien, and the band has spent more time crafting, and sculpting these songs than they ever have in the past.
The best way to characterize “Light Grenades” is by calling it a mix of love songs and songs about war, which fuse together in an unusual, but effective way.
The first single “Anna Molly” (Anomaly) has a classic Incubus rock sound and furthered the anticipation for the album’s release. “Anna Molly” works excellently as the single because it is a simple love song with a fun tempo, a unique feel and amazing bass lines. The groove of “Anna Molly” sets a general pace for the entire album.
One of the hardest tracks on the CD is “Light Grenades”, which is pumped with intense energy and the use of new instrumentation. Boyd’s voice screams, “Survived the plague, floated the flood, just peeked our heads above the mud. No one is immune, deafening bells, my God, will we survive ourselves?” This song is exemplary of the overall message of the album, dealing with the hope for peace and the injurious effects of war.
There are many other references to war in other tracks as well. In “Rogues,” the lyrics say, “Buried to my neck in sand. Enough, enough bowing down to disillusion. Hats off and applause to rogues and evolution. The ripple effect is too good not to mention. If you’re not affected, you’re not paying attention!”
Many artists, at this stage of their careers, often attempt to experiment with other genres of music. However, in “Light Grenades,” Incubus enhances their original 90s alternative style without abandoning the music that brought them to fame.
Through “Light Grenades,” listeners discover that Incubus has grown more talented over time, rather than less. The sounds created on “Light Grenades” are far more adventurous than tracks from their previous albums; and in comparison to previous albums, “Light Grenades” is the most cohesive album Incubus has released. Most importantly, after this sixth album, Incubus shows no signs of slowing down.
Incubus is one of those bands that everyone knows of, but some people just never really get into. If you were never strongly impressed by Incubus’s previous music, I highly suggest you take a listen to “Light Grenades.”
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