10

Not funk, but it's still good...

Sharp, slick and cruising ahead of the likes of Funeral for a Friend and Hundred Reasons, Incubus have always been masters of diversity. ‘A Crow Left of the Murder…’ brings with it another shade in the kaleidoscope of musical direction. Album opener and current single ‘Megalomaniac’ shows this clearly. The smooth flow from the bass guitar is still there, but it contains a much more mature grain of sound. Having been at the music game for eleven years now, their work appears to have reached the level they have been striving to attain. However, fans have not welcomed their latest creation quite as warmly as might have been expected, for a lot rode upon this album. As with anything highly anticipated, the chances of the band getting it right are surprisingly low. ‘A Crow…’ does take a step back into Incubus’ older music, but it is obvious that Incubus prefer the payback from the radio-friendly music of their last album. The album moves swiftly from a promising start into the dull, uninteresting waters that infested the second half of 2001’s ‘Morning View’. Southern Girl is endearing, but fades from your memory almost as soon as the drum of Priceless begins. This is the nearest that Incubus will probably get to their unique fusion of heavy guitars with softer fractions melded over the top which dominated older albums. Pleasing the ear, with lyrics that will satisfy the mind, Smile Lines is a small dose of what singer and lyricist Brandon Boyd has learnt over the years. Again, it contains elements of their older music, but washed over the top is that constricting need for every song to be good enough to be a single. Here in My Room employs the use of a piano to accompany the dramatic, melancholy guitars, which contrast with the hauntingly beautiful lyrics. Definitely the best track on the album.

Overall, ‘A Crow…’, whilst not the best Incubus album to date, is still far better than a great deal of the music on the market currently, but my advice would be to wait until you have heard a couple more songs released from it before paying up.