Incubus
Morning View

PROLOGUE

I discovered Incubus in the spring of 2001. It was morning, and amidst a distracted breakfast, my ear caught the delightful frequencies of a song I later found out was called "Drive." "Who are these guys?..." I thought, "Never heard of them."

The next day, I had already bought "Make Yourself." At first, it didn't say much to me; truth be told, it took me a couple of listens to appreciate it. But there was that beautiful "Drive"...

A fun band, and such deep lyrics! So I investigated further and decided to buy "S.C.I.E.N.C.E." too, their big debut album. Masterpiece! And when had music like this ever come out?!

That’s how my Incubus-mania began. What I loved about them was the experimental streak, the clear messages that came through directly via the meaningful allegories in the lyrics, the courage to speak directly and get to the point. And then how they rocked!.. A crossover different from the nu-metal that was fashionable at the time. They became like my best friend, the one who, with his charisma, ideals, and critical sense of reality, always made you feel on the right side. My friendship with Incubus reached its peak during the summer of '01 — wherever I went, they were there. In my stereo blasted DJ Kilmore’s sound effects, Einzinger’s funk-metal riffs, and Pasillas’s drum’n bass rhythms.

"Will I evvveeer get to where I’m gooooinnng???..."

REVIEW

Then autumn came. As had been announced by numerous circulating rumors, my friends came out with a brand-new album. "Morning View"?... What a poetic title! And look at that cover... A bay enveloped in the morning light.. beautiful.. let’s hear it a bit..." The first track begins, "Nice to know you". Nice, rhythmic with reminiscences of the d'n'b already heard in "Make Yourself..." indeed, it has something of "Pardon Me".. excellent! So, I continued listening in anticipation of something special to amaze me, as I was used to by now. The tracks flowed, nice arrangements, not bad chords, superb production... the great track is coming! ... What? CD finished? With this annoying endless oriental-sounding chant?.. How is it possible?...

Instinctively, I began to think back to the launch single's video, a semi-ballad with a pompous yet risky title ("Wish You were Here") in which my friends were being chased by a herd of delirious fourteen-year-olds like a boy band. A detail that seemed strange at first, but the song was okay... The details fly low, however, and that video spoke volumes about the entire Morning View. Which is nothing more than a crowd-pleasing record with a series of impressive (and sometimes embarrassing) attempts to replicate the success of "Drive" (which at this point turned out to be not so much a song from "Make Yourself" but a clever precursor single for "Morning View"...)

But what happened? My once unusual, intelligent, and sharp friend was suddenly turning into a posing charmer of eager maidens thanks to cute melodies, star poses, and effect phrases?... And how come he's always on MTV now? So many videos... but wasn't it an idiot box?...

I couldn't believe it. I don't know how many times I listened to this album hoping I was wrong, as if retracing the stages of a friendship that was increasingly cracking to try and save it. But no. There are good songs, but they lack soul. You can tell they were written with something else in mind, like prostituting your best words: if "Echo" is notable in its arpeggio, a ballad with alternative rhythms that might be the most salvageable point of the album, "Warning" captures attention right away but sounds familiar, and the lyrics are excessively trivial; "Mexico" is equally appreciable with its acoustic virtuosity... but where is Kilmore in all this? "Just a Phase", another acoustic gem, is too much of a copycat of "Drive"... what a sadness...

And there are episodes that are ugly as well as disappointing: "Circles" is bland, "Have you Ever" is horrendous, the last of the b-sides, "Are You In" seems written by Nelly Furtado (if she could write), "Blood on the Ground" makes you believe not all funk has been lost along the way, but even here, by now, it's too late, something is missing: artistic honesty. "Under my Umbrella" hints at a rock light at the end of the tunnel, but it's too dim, who believes it anymore?

"Morning View" marked the beginning of the end of my short but intense friendship with Incubus. I tried to give this slightly deceiving friend other chances, but subsequent tests did not restore my admiration. By now, everything seemed tainted by a sort of betrayal of the original presentation, and I was left with a sense of disappointment. Like when a trusted friend declines in your esteem. And when it’s like that.. goodbye! Am I too uncompromising? Perhaps.. who knows, but I believe I'm not the only friend they've lost because of this CD.