Now it may come as a surprise to know that this was my last Incubus album. The shock! I mean, this was obviously their most popular record, but I had started off with Morning View before I purchased S.C.I.E.N.C.E. at a relatively cheap price, and finally I moved on to this one.

I find Make Yourself to be possibly their weakest album, as there are more than a couple of filler tracks on here mixed in with all the good stuff. This album is sort of a bridging point between the aggressive, heavy S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and the more mellow, mature Morning View as it carries elements of both these albums in it. This is sadly when Incubus became notably more mainstream, the singles on this album are obvious and easy to pick out, and there is of course some filler.

Also, there is no DJ Lyfe on this CD, as Chris Kilmore takes over the turntables. Also, the rhythm section get pushed further into the background and Michael Einziger comes more to the forefront as the guitar rises in prominence.

Incubus are Brandon Boyd (vocals), Michael Einziger (guitar), Dirk Lance (bass), Jose Passilas (drums) and Chris Kilmore (DJ).

Track Listing

1. Privilege
2. Nowhere Fast
3. Consequence
4. The Warmth
5. When It Comes
6. Stellar
7. Make Yourself
8. Drive
9. Clean
10.Battlestar Scralatchtica
11.I Miss You
12.Pardon Me
13.Out From Under

The album kicks off with Privilege. An excellent, clean riff from Einziger shows signs of what is to come, then the song explodes with some forceful drumming as the guitar gets more distorted. This song hits the listener between the eyes on the first listen. There is a nice little quiet break before a great chorus bursts out. There is some nice work from Kilmore in the background here too. Unfortunately everything that was good about S.C.I.E.N.C.E. is thrown right out the window here. No winding, catchy bass lines and speedy, excellent drumming here, the guitars dominate everything. Boyd sounds great singing here though, much better than on most of S.C.I.E.N.C.E..

Isn’t it strange that a gift could be an enemy?
Isn’t it weird that a privilege could feel like a chore?
Maybe it’s me but this line isn’t going anywhere
Maybe if we looked hard enough we could find a backdoor

Nowhere Fast is a slightly weaker track to have at the start of the album, and would almost be classed as filler by me, if it wasn’t for the cool guitar piece near the end. The song starts off with a quiet dreamy guitar part, that explodes again into some more hard riffage. The bass booms in nicely in the calm verses, and there are some nice waves of sound by the DJ. The guitar returns powerfully in a weak chorus, possibly one of the weakest in the album. The song changes after the second chorus and there is some great improvised guitar work, then they return for another chorus at the end.

Will I ever get to where I’m going?
If I do, will I know when I am there?
If the wind blew me in the right direction
Would I even care?
I would

Consequence returns to more rocking style after some mellowness in the last track. Boyd rap sings the verses, with another good riff backing him up. The riff has a spacey sound to it until the chorus hits where it is more of the usual big, distorted sound. Just a standard rocker, not much else to say, except the drums are better in this one, there are a few nice fills.

Blink and you miss a beat, keep one of your eyes open at all times
Think that you’re on the brink? The sh*t hasn’t even begun to hit the fan
Consequence you’ll see will be stranger than a gang of drunken mimes
Situation has a stink. Better clear the air before your son becomes a man

The Warmth? The least appropriate title for this song. It has a creepy feel to it in the verses, with spooky bass in the back, and a weird guitar riff. The guitar only gets more airy and drifts along in the chorus, it doesn’t power up like in the choruses so far. The chorus is the best of the album so far, and in the final chorus an extra guitar comes in and plays a nice melody over the top. The DJ comes in with some moaning sounds throughout this song as well. An album highlight.

Don’t let the world bring you down
Not everyone here is that f*cked up and cold
Remember why you came and while you’re alive
Experience the warmth before you grow old

The first real filler track on the record. Much the same formula as Nowhere Fast, When It Comes has a mellow verse, and the guitars are powerful and dominating in the chorus. The chorus is actually a little stronger, but the song as a whole is not as prominent as anything else. The riff is intimidating, and they could have built around it so much better, but alas I usually find myself skipping this one all too easily.

And it feels like a matador is taunting me
With his reddest red cloth
And I am the bull
Yes I feel emphatic about not being static

Stellar is the first clear radio-friendly song, starting with a beautiful, melodic riff, and having a quieter more acoustic feel in the verses. The guitars do the same in the chorus as they’ve done just about the full album so far, and to be honest this formula is beginning to get a bit old already. This features Lance’s best bass work in the album so far, he plays some great catchy bass hooks in the choruses, which are of course stellar (I can’t believe I just used that one). This song is definitely mainstream, but good at that, one of the best tracks.

Meet me in outer space
We could spend the night
Watch the earth come up
I’ve grown tired of that place

The title track is the furthest from mainstream that the album gets. It is the hardest song on the album, featuring some very graphic lyrics as well. The guitars are loud and aggressive, and the drums are at their most powerful; the song drives forward in the verses very well, and the chorus is actually very uplifting. Boyd ends up screaming his lungs out by the end of this one.

At a distance you’re strong, until the wind comes
Then you crumble and blow away
If you let them f*ck you, there will be no foreplay
Rest assured, they’ll screw you complete
‘Till you’re a$$ is blue and grey

Drive is Incubus’ most popular song,. It is the only one most of my friends have heard, as they really are not big at all in the UK. It is a lovely, acoustic number, and the guitar and bass work nicely together on this one. Choruses are uplifting and excellent, easy on the ears. Just a good, easy listening song, that was obviously geared up to be a big hit.

Whatever tomorrow brings
I’ll be there
With open arms
And open eyes

The only really noticeable thing about Clean is that it takes a while to build up. The instruments join in slowly, and several sound effects come in and out. The drumming is good in this build up, and the guitar gets progressively louder, until it begins playing more smoothly and there is a little burst of energy before the calm, buzzing verse kicks in. The chorus is not great, and the song doesn’t last long. The intro actually took up most of the song. There is a nice little break where Boyd repeats the word ”clean” as the guitar improvises in the background.

Don’t you dare come to bed with that ambiguous look in your eye
I’d sooner sleep by an open fire and wake up fried
Say what you will, say what you mean
You could never offend, your dirty words come out clean

Battlestar Scralatchtica is pointless filler akin to Magic Medicine from S.C.I.E.N.C.E.. Just a chance for the DJ to get noticed a bit. I am glad they didn’t put one of these boring instrumentals on their latest album, Morning View.

I Miss You is more something like Stellar, a bit of a soppy, sickly song, with gentle bass, and a pretty boring riff actually. The choruses sound forced, in fact most of the song does. It is pretty boring as well, and it is just as well that it is the shortest song on the album, to cut down the pain a bit.

To see you when I wake up
Is a gift I didn’t think could be real
To know that you feel the same as I do
Is a three-fold, utopian dream

Pardon Me is another single, starting off with some DJ noises, and some throbbing bass, then the riff bursts out powerfully, and Boyd goes full throttle into a bass led rapping verse. The guitars lead the chorus, which is not the greatest chorus in the world, I prefer the verses to be honest. Boyd belts it out well though. The DJ does some nice scratching here as well, and the drums are quite rapid and cool throughout. Not the most obvious single from the album, but it does combine everything about Incubus together in one song well.

Not two days ago, I was having a look
In a book, and I saw a picture
Of a guy fried up above his knees
I said “I can relate”
‘Cos lately I’ve been thinking of combustication
As a welcome vacation from
The burdens of planet earth
Like gravity, hypocrisy, and the perils of being in 3D
And thinking so much differently

Out From Under actually competes with Make Yourself for hardest track on the album, it is a nice aggressive way to end the album with a blast. The riff is extremely powerful and distorted, and the bass leads the verses very well, this is one of Lance’s more prominent moments again. I particularly like the part where Boyd screams ”resist and multiply!” and the riff eventually builds back up afterwards. This comes after a quieter break in the song, and they repeat the chorus once more before the song ends with a flurry of noise. One of the less tuneful, but better songs on here, and a great way to end the album.

To resist is to p*ss in the wind
Anyone who does will end up smelling
Knowing this why do I defy?
Because my inner voice is yelling
There is a fist pressing against
Anyone who thinks something compelling
Our intuit we’re taught to deny
And our soul we’re told is for selling

My copy of this album also came with a bonus disc, which features acoustic versions of Pardon Me, Stellar and Make Yourself, and a live orchestral version of Drive. The live song is good, but the album version is better. The three acoustic numbers sound great, and give me a deeper appreciation of those three songs.

This is Incubus’ worst album, because they seem to be caught in two minds as to how they are supposed to sound, and there is also a bit of filler in there which breaks up the album at times when it is starting to get good. If you want to get into Incubus though, I would actually advise buying this one, then you can see which extreme you want to opt for, the harder, energetic S.C.I.E.N.C.E. or the mature, mellow Morning View.

Excellent: The Warmth, Make Yourself
Good: Privilege, Consequence, Stellar, Drive, Pardon Me, Out From Under
Average: Nowhere Fast, When It Comes, Clean
Weak: Battlestar Scralatchtica, I Miss You

Final Rating: 16/20


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving