Incubus
Make Yourself

After a few initial years of lively and brilliant crossover devoted to Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and to some extent even Primus, in 1999 Incubus released MAKE YOURSELF, the album that definitively established them worldwide, thanks especially to the captivating hit Drive, a delightful and slightly slick acoustic pop song. Although this is the most accessible track in their catalog, it's not difficult to discern the path taken by the Californian band, which has veered towards a more melodic and relaxed sound. The peculiar funky and modernist "background" remains intact, as do certain characteristics: the initial track Privilege reprises the powerful style of S. C. I. E. N. C. E., Make Yourself and Out From Under, the more driven tracks, still recall Faith No More; the instrumental Battlestar Scralatchtica is a spirited funky tune in the style of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, spiced with DJ Kilmore's console work, who was a new member at the time (having replaced DJ Lyfe); moreover, Brandon Boyd's warm and youthful voice is quite reminiscent of Mike Patton, and in some instances, Anthony Kiedis, though with all due respect, he is much more capable.

Nonetheless, this album is heavily influenced by grunge: the characteristic midtempo and guitars that are simultaneously melodic and gritty perfectly mesh with the funky grooves entrusted to the rhythm section, bassist Dirk Lance and drummer José Pasillas. Nowhere Fast and Pardon Me alternate funky and drum'n'bass verses respectively with distorted choruses; Clean unfolds similarly, combining effected percussion and Kilmore's scratches with Mike Einziger's energetic guitars; The Warmth and Stellar are traditional ballads that start softly and then intensify in the refrains, while the romantic I Miss You is a slightly Smashing Pumpkins-like ballad.

Their grunge (or rather, post-grunge) doesn't sound laden with existential angst and nihilism as it typically should but comes across as polite, toned down in demeanor yet pleasant to listen to. The lyrics are also noteworthy, which further demonstrate the absence of the dark, pessimistic lyricism of grunge, weaving a vaguely conceptual narrative that serves as an encouragement for self-determination and the rejection of social conventions and mass mentality. The album's title and title-track, MAKE YOURSELF, speak volumes, meaning "shape yourself, build your ego".

Critics of this album accuse the group of toning down their sound for less noble lucrative reasons. This is partly true: S. C. I. E. N. C. E. is more original and complex than the work in question, and it's not to say that the band didn't intend to achieve international success. But what's wrong with that? Besides, the songs aren't so blatantly commercial, except perhaps for Drive, which still isn't bad at all. A statement that, in hindsight, can't be made about their subsequent albums, but in any case, Brandon and company have always produced pleasant music, even when it became "radio friendly". Thus, it should be noted that MAKE YOURSELF did not mark their end, assuming Incubus is a finished band, which, in my opinion, is not true at all.