Incubus
Morning View

A sore point for anyone who has to express an opinion on this album. How can you talk about an album criticized by everyone and that once again changes the way of seeing this American band?
Well, what we have in front of us is a phase ("...just a phase..."), a transition towards a dimension they have to find. A transition they want us to notice. What strikes me the most is how they manage to propose so well the various genres they encounter on their path. The funky masterfully executed in Fungus Amongus, their delirious vision of crossover in that masterpiece that is S.C.I.E.N.C.E., the concept of grunge and prog reinterpreted in Make Yourself, with "A crow left to the murder" their rock streak and now... Now. Yes, now what do we have. The critical point: their more pop side. By pop, I mean the most commercial part that is in them. The beginning of the album can deceive. "Nice to know you" (in my opinion the most beautiful of this album) and "Circles" might seem like a continuation of Make Yourself, but it is not. At the third track the chaos. That "Wish you were here" that left me stunned. In three words: MTV. Damn... look, they sold out too. Then the various deeper listens don't justify the song itself as much as the work. Catchy but not by Incubus. And here's "Just a phase" where we find DJ Kilmore again, but still, we’re not there. And so the others flow as well. "11 a.m" is cute and makes you feel like in the morning just after waking up and still a bit groggy. "Blood on the ground" remains a chimera for me. "Mexico" is a nice acoustic piece. "Warning" sounds like a warning sign on how the album will end. "Eco" is very sweet but blurred without personality. "Have you ever" and "Under my umbrella" lift the fate of an album less sparkling than others. And the finale... What is it? "Aqueous Transmission". As a fan and admirer, I prefer to see it as a relaxing song that wants to make it clear that there will be a break and that they will return again. Other times I just see it as a song to skip.

What can I say about this work then? If it is a transition, it has been well crafted and packaged, perhaps even too much: some sparkle dazzles and stuns, but their skill is undeniable. Sometimes I pause and think it might be so. Other times I wish this album never existed. If you are willing to try and understand, it will be nice and refreshing; otherwise, you CAN drop a star from the rating I gave. Let's see their next move (after "A crow left to the murder").