Incubus – S.C.I.E.N.C.E.

Incubus has sort of become a band similar to say U2 or Red Hot Chili Peppers, in that a lot of die-hard fans (or once die-hard fans) will tend to say “I only liked their first album” or “yeah, they USED to be relevant” or even “they totally sold out man!” However you would classify this band, there’s no denying that S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is one of their creative masterpieces (at least I think so). Where this album is quite different than its predecessor Fungus Amongus, the elements of inherent funk, rap, slow groove, and brutality are all still present throughout the duration of the album; but somehow they make all these genres work together for the better of the album where lesser bands have failed to do so in the past. UNLIKE their albums of late, it’s easy to tell that the label had nothing to do with the creative process/writing of these songs. Although the label’s involvement in this band’s creative direction may actually be somewhat indicative of their success considering Incubus hit most people’s radar with “Pardon Me,” a song that came awhile after this album as part of the Make Yourself in ’99. OR maybe they’ve just progressed past this style and I’m completely off base J (especially because they’ve always been signed to the same label). Enough of the speculative stuff…

Songs of note for me on this album: ALL OF THEM! “Redefine” is a powerful album opener, “Vitamin” assaults your eardrums with a fast-paced, heavy hitting melody and rhythmic sections, and “New Skin” & “A Certain Shade of Green” are probably somewhat recognizable to even the non-Incubus fan as these are two of the tracks on the album that received substantial radio play and most likely music video play (music videos? what are those?); these two tracks are likely destined to become favourites if you’re unfamiliar with this album. “Favourite Things” is another great track following “A Certain Shade of Green.” Now, following “Favourite Things,” we get a glimpse at a song that is representative of the genre of music that this band has become particularly successful at marketing to the masses. “Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song)” is a great “ballad” for lack of a better term. Similar to “Drive,” “I Miss You,” “Stellar,” basically ALL of the Morning View album, "Talk Shows on Mute," “Southern Girl,” and the list goes on and on, “Summer Romance” showcases both intricate melodies and Brandon Boyd’s knack for singing the crap out of a simple sing-a-long-able song. The best part of this track is the Saxophone solo; I love that!

I could write about this band forever and ever as I have been a huge fan since the first time I listened to the album with my friend Andre in the basement of his parent’s house in high school and I will continue to be a fan regardless of the fact that many listeners have fallen away as a result of the bands choice to pursue a more “mainstream” style of music. Whatever your tastes, you have to admit that Incubus is a chameleon in the world of factory-made, cookie-cutter pop music designed to rot your brain. Take a break from the likes of Katy Perry and Hinder and check out S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and decide for yourself!