I’ll get it out of the way early - the band Incubus got their name from a mythological term for a demon that rapes people in their sleep. Is that disturbing or what?

Listening to Incubus’ 1999 breakthrough album, Make Yourself, sometimes left me feeling like my mind had just been raped. Trapped somewhere between their original brand of edgy funk-rock and a smoother, radio-ready sound, the quintet from Calabasas, California managed to get a number of songs stuck in my mind, and in the process they attempted to force-feed me a message that society was trying to turn me into a lifeless robot and I should rebel against the powers that be. It frustrated me to have them belabor this point, because when they kept their anger reigned in, they proved to be rather motivational. Unfortunately, too many of the songs were plagued with profanity and imagery that I really could have done without. Musically speaking, some of it felt a bit forced. It drove me nuts, because I could tell the band had talent. Their lead singer was quite versatile, their lyrics were sometimes very clever, and the addition of a DJ helped to distinguish them from a lot of the cookie-cutter modern rock acts on the market. I found myself listening to - and really loving - about 4 or 5 songs on that disc and ignoring the rest.

I was a little hesitant to approach 2001’s Morning View, figuring it would be more of the same from the band. Strangely, what convinced me to give the album a chance was a number of negative reviews from other critics. Apparently, Incubus had continued in the softer direction first explored in some songs on Make Yourself Hardcore fans of the earlier album S.C.I.E.N.C.E. were now questioning if this was even the same band. From what I had heard, Incubus was now more about experimentation than they were about rocking out. I figured that wasn’t necessarily such a bad thing - I knew Incubus could write some great lyrics and create some tasty grooves.

My hunch turned out to be right. While not drastically different from Make Yourself, Morning View manages to shift the band’s focus from rape and rebellion to reflection and remorse. Perhaps renting out a house overlooking the sunny SoCal shoreline to use as their recording studio allowed them to let loose a little. The album is actually named after the street where that house can be found.. Beyond that, though, the words Morning View work well to tie together this album’s theme of introspection - looking back on the events of days gone by, regretting that you‘ve hurt people, wishing you could mend a broken friendship, longing for someone you once loved and want back in your arms. These things always make more sense after you sleep on them, right?

Musically speaking, the record holds its own. While it contains a number of softer songs and “sleeper hits”, the band still isn’t afraid to rock out when appropriate. There may be some points where the more rocking songs sound a little forced or where a lyrical thought seems incomplete, but overall it’s a vast improvement. Several songs actually bring back memories of the songs on Make Yourself, almost as if certain musical ideas had been taken back to the drawing board in between albums. While the similarities may be too close for comfort at times, it doesn’t bother me too much because I listen to these songs much more often than I listen to the old ones. Most importantly (for me, and I suspect for many of my readers), the profanity has been completely eliminated from Morning View. And I don’t miss it, because I don’t think it was ever necessary for the band to get their point across.

So now that I’ve given you an overview, let’s see what the morning has in store for us…

Nice to Know You
A gentle synthesized wave opens the album, which is soon joined by a subtle bass line, light drumming and some strange whispered beat-boxing (I can’t tell if it’s a DJ effect or lead singer Brandon Boyd). This repeating melody suddenly gets amped up with some strong drumming and a solid guitar riff, which oddly jumps ahead of itself in places, shaving off a measure here and there to create an alternating pattern of 7/8 and 8/8. With the exception of the complex time signature, this intro reminds me very much of “Pardon Me”, the standout radio hit from Make Yourself. However, this current radio hit is an amped-up song of adoration for a girl who seems to not have a care in the world. Brandon is clearly affected by this girl: “I haven’t felt the way I feel today in so long it’s hard for me to specify.” He’s not just in love with her; it seems she’s changed his worldview. Strangely, the chorus simply consists of the words “Goodbye, nice to know you”, utilizing the same jumpy time signature as the intro. Is this wonderful person leaving him for some reason? Or can he simply not handle her any more? I can’t tell. The song takes a little getting used to, and the pre-chorus where Brandon slips briefly from singing into screaming detracts slightly from the appeal of the song, but it’s still one of my favorites on the album.
Blessed is she who clearly sees the wood for the trees
To obtain a “bird‘s eye“ is to turn a blizzard to a breeze

Circles
This song takes a little bit to get revved up, staring off on a steady cymbal pattern that eventually meets a guitar riff, exploding into a fiercer, funkier song than the first. The verses seem like organized chaos at first - Brandon’s vocals jump up and down the scale and the words are hard to make out. However, repeated listens reveal that this is a song of restraint, directed at a person who has hurt Brandon. He explains to this person that while he is trying to keep himself from hurting them, “everything moves in circles” and whatever they did will come back to them eventually. I like the words he uses to explain how he is choosing to let go of his opportunity for revenge. My only real criticisms of this song are the bridge, which drags slightly compared to the energy of the rest of the song (though I love the Chinese-sounding flute that turns out to be a DJ effect), and the fact that the chorus is a bit too similar to “Nowhere Fast” from the last album. The end of the song is very abrupt and disorienting, with the band breaking into an odd rhythm and Brandon screaming “Round and round and round and ROUND!!!”
I saw you standing in my headlights (blink, blink, blink)
I thought I‘d run you down for the weight you left on me
Instead I pushed, rewind, reversed and drove away
And seeing you disappear in my rearview
Brought to me the word “reciprocity“

Wish You Were Here
The album’s lead-off single has all of the right ingredients to make it just that. Obviously catering to an audience that was introduced to Incubus’ softer side through songs like “Drive” and “Stellar”, this song piles the sentimentality on thick by using the familiar post-card greeting as a simple chorus. What saves the song from being complete mush is a more aggressive, upbeat musical attack than you might expect given the subject matter, and some spacier guitar work during the verses. Brandon gets a few poetic metaphors out of his system on this one, such as the sky resembling “a backlit canopy with holes punched in it”. I love the turntable scratching in this song, and the extra guitar that breaks in every now and then just to add a little extra zest to the main riff. It’s not the band’s most creative song, and I really wished they hadn’t forced it to end on a resolved chord (it just doesn’t sound right), but I still really like it.
I dig my toes into the sand
The ocean looks like a thousand diamonds strewn across a blue blanket
I lean against the wind, pretend that I am weightless
And in this moment I am happy

Just a Phase
Interestingly, the band chose and early point in the record to place a non-radio-friendly track. The song opens quietly, with a repeating electronic effect that seems to mimic the ocean crashing on the beach (hey, I see the connection now!). Guitarist Mike Einzinger doodles around with some light picking on his electric and the rest of the band slowly joins over the next two minutes, until the rhythm shifts into 3/4 time and the song’s first lyrics finally appear. The change in mood is a bit unexpected - the song is still mellow at this point, but Brandon’s lyrics are a tad bitter. He’s addressing an annoying person who he seems to hope will just go away. Amidst a few more bewildering shifts in time signature, he quietly asserts that it’s “just a phase, it will be over soon”. I love how he fakes me out at the end of the first chorus by making like he’s going to break into a heavy chorus by yelling and then backing off into a whisper - “Yeah, it’s JUST A… phase.” The payoff arrives the second time around, where the song suddenly becomes very aggressive and Brandon is wailing at the top of his lungs, with some odd background vocals from the other guys. Then the song settles back into its calm intro and fades out. Weird, but an interesting musical detour.
I am bottled fizzy water
And you are shaking me up
You are a fingernail running down
The chalkboard I thought I left in third grade

11am
Musically, this song is mid-tempo and fairly unadventurous, mulling over a simple guitar riff as Brandon describes one of those mornings when you can’t seem to sleep in but can’t find the resolve to get out of bed. His morning starts bright and early at 7, when a garbage truck wakes him up, which leads to some clever musing about “what I’ve thrown away”. As the morning wears on, we learn that he regrets leaving a former lover. It’s just like I said earlier - these things are always clearer in the morning. Still, he can’t seem to make up his mind whether he really wants her back - he begs for her to “forgive my indecision” but then he arrives at a cryptic chorus: “Then again, you’re always first when no one’s on your side.” Huh? Come on Brandon, do ya or don’t ya?
Eleven AM
By now you would think that I‘d be up
But my bed sheets shade the heat of choices I‘ve made

Blood on the Ground
This is probably the harshest song on the album, musically speaking. Interestingly, it continues the message started in “Circles” about not taking revenge. Once again, someone is getting on Brandon’s nerves - he makes sure to explain that “Seeing you is like pulling teeth and hearing your voice is like chewing tin foil.” Ouch! However, he makes it clear that he doesn’t want to talk to the person, because he knows the things he has to say will be hurtful, and I love the way he explains it: “I bite my tongue every time you come around, because blood in my mouth beats blood on the ground”. What sounds like an angry song actually contains a lot of wisdom as the guys remind us that “By saying less, I will gain more.” This is what I love about the new Incubus. Unfortunately, Brandon’s vocals are a bit tortured and sloppy in much of this song. The head-banging chorus morphs oddly into a funk/hip-hop influenced verse - the whole thing is rather schizophrenic. I love the lyrics and so I really like the song, but musically it could have been a little tighter.
Hand over my mouth, I‘m earning the right to my silence
In quiet, discerning between ego and timing
Good judgment is once again proving to me
That it‘s still worth its weight in mold

Mexico
Here we have experiment #2 for this record - an entirely acoustic song. No drums, no nothing, except for an acoustic guitar and a sole cello to accentuate the sad/bitter mood. Once again, the band utilizes a 7/8 rhythm, which is hard to follow at first due to the lack of percussion. (Actually, now that I think about it, track #7 on the last album used a 7/8 rhythm too. Coincidence?) The guitar picking is clear and very well done, conjuring up visions of the lonely trip south of the border that Brandon wants to take to get away from someone who has hurt him by being selfish. While the song is great about showing the band’s versatility, I feel like it lacks enough detail to really hold my interest. It would have been nice to see how the DJ figured into a softer song like this one, or to have more lyrics to fill in the story a little better. As it is, the sparseness of the song makes the middle of the album drag a bit.
You could see me reaching
So why couldn‘t you have met me halfway
You could see me bleeding
And you would not put pressure on the wound

Warning
Breaking in immediately with more of Brandon’s crooning, this seems to be a soft song at first, floating mostly on the strength of a few subtle guitar tones and some noise from DJ Kilmore. However, “Warning” shows brilliant restraint as it picks up steam, kicking in after the first chorus, describing a lonely girl who regrets the decisions that she had made. Once again the album’s theme comes to the forefront: “She woke in the morning; she knew that her life had passed her by.” The story veers away from this girl in the other verses, shifting the focus to society in general, and going so far as to compare humanity to frogs floating in a cosmic jacuzzi (!). Incubus certainly has a way with analogies; I’m just glad that none of the analogies used on this album involve sex or human waste. Though the song seems a bit sluggish at first, not quite breaking out with the energy level you’d expect it too, it proves to be one of the standout tracks on the album.
When will we learn? When will we change?
Just in time to see it all fall down
Those left standing will make millions
Writing books on the way it should have been

Echo
There’s something familiar about that guitar riff, isn’t there? Slightly Eastern-sounding… fingers sliding effortlessly up and down an electric guitar… Hey, wait a minute! This song is a ripoff of “Stellar”! Okay, maybe it’s not the exact same thing, but the similarities are too strong to ignore. Thankfully, this song gets it right where “Stellar” went wrong. Rather than feeling the need to amp up a spacey love song with crunching power chords and making the entire thing sound really forced, “Echo” is executed with restraint and finesse, shuffling along on light percussion and gentle but accomplished guitar playing. The lyrics are similar to “Nice to Know You”, again directed at someone who has changed Brandon’s life. He seems lost in her eyes, and he begs her: “Could you show me dear, something I’ve not seen, something infinitely interesting”. This one might work well as a single, even if the old hardcore fans are crying “sellout”.
There‘s something about the way you move
I see your mouth in slow motion when you sing
More subtle than something someone contrives
Your movements echo that I‘ve seen the real thing

Have You Ever
A hyperactive guitar riff jolts the listener out of the gentle mood created by “Echo” - the transition is honestly quite jarring. However, we needed a truly rocking song at this point, so I won’t complain. Dirk Lance asserts himself with some strong bass work during this song, and Brandon belts it out without resorting to screaming this time. The song takes the old analogy of walking in someone’s shoes as Brandon tries to explain to someone he is arguing with that he needs them to try and see his perspective instead of just judging him. I’m not sure what started the conflict, but once again it’s nice to see that Brandon’s trying to explain himself instead of just saying “screw you” like so many other modern rock acts would.
To get up and walk away would be too easy
So stay and stand your ground, just watch your mouth with me
On the back of every right there‘s a wrong looming
So here you and I should tread
As soft as these razor blades for boots will let be

Are You In?
It must be tradition for each Incubus album to contain a mostly instrumental track mainly for the purpose of allowing the DJ to show off. On the last record, it was the extremely annoying “Battlestar Scralatchtica”. On this record, it’s a much smoother number, piling on another thick bass groove but not grating on the ears as much. It sounds like the band had a lot of fun recording this one, and even if the lyrics are inane, it conjured up strong pictures of the band and a few hundred of their friends having a beach party. You can’t help but sing along with those catchy “Ooh-eeh-ooh-oohs” - it’s like a funked-out version of the Beach Boys.
It‘s so much better
When everyone is in, are you in?
It‘s so much easier
When sea foam green is in fashion

Under My Umbrella
This oddly-titled track takes a similar lyrical approach to “Have You Ever”, this time using “eyes” as the main metaphor instead of “shoes”. The song gets the last bits of energy out of the band’s system during the chorus, but settles into a weird, muted verse with Brandon singing in a very low tone and a few off-key video game effects making the chord structure even less apparent. The vocals during the chorus leave a bit desired - much like the verses during “Circles”, it’s hard to tell what the heck Brandon is singing. Perusing the lyrics, he seems to be telling someone that he’ll decide for himself what’s right instead of just taking the other person’s rules at face value. In that regard, it’s closer lyrically to Make Yourself than anything on the record. It takes some getting used to, but it’s actually one of the strongest upbeat numbers on the album. I love how Brandon repeats the song’s bridge right before the song’s abrupt ending.
If this is right, I‘d rather be wrong
If this is sight, I‘d rather be blind

Aqueous Transmission
The album closes with the band’s gutsiest move yet - an unabashed experiment with Asian instrumentation. An instrument called a “kyoto” loops throughout the song, its Eastern twang immediately transporting the listener to settings seen in movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A string section that seems to be equally influenced by Eastern and Western sensibilities meanders throughout the song, adding dramatic flair to what might otherwise be an insanely repetitive piece (the song is essentially built on two repeating chords). I’m sure many listeners would find this track to be too long, too slow, too repetitive, too pretentious, or something. But it’s my favorite track on the album. Maybe it’s just due to my penchant for falling in love with anything Asian. In any case, the music combined with Brandon’s sleepy lyrics paint a compelling picture of a man drifting on the water all by himself. He is reminiscing about a former lover and wondering if they will meet again “further down the river”. His vocals eventually fade away and the kyoto and strings flirt with each other until the song finally ends near the seven minute mark, slowly fading out on what sounds like the sound of a swamp full of frogs and crickets. Beautiful!
Two weeks without my lover
I am in this boat alone
Floating down a river named “emotion“
Will I make it back to shore or drift into the unknown?

I can tell that Morning View isn’t going to be for everyone. But Incubus has really stretched themselves with this one, and I think it paid off. Sure, old hardcore fans are now calling them “Succubus” (which is another mythological term; y’all are so clever!), and I don’t necessarily think they had to mellow out in order for me to find their music more acceptable. I’m just glad to see that they’ve grown up and yet, they still aren’t afraid to rock out and vent a little righteous anger every once in a while. If the first listen upsets your stomach, I’d advise you to take two more and call me in the morning. After all, things always look better in the morning.

TRACK REVIEW SUMMARY
Excellent: Aqueous Transmission, Nice to Know You, Wish You Were Here, Circles, Warning, Just a Phase, Echo
Good: Blood on the Ground, Have You Ever, Are You In?
Decent: 11am, Under My Umbrella
Weak: Mexico
Skippable: NONE

Band Members:
Brandon Boyd: Lead vocals, percussion
Michael Einzinger: Guitars
DJ Kilmore: Turntables
Dirk Lance: Bass
Jose Pasillas II: Drums


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving