Incubus
Morning View

I listened to "Morning View" many times before writing this review, because I have always appreciated this band for their eclecticism and ingenious promptness, so it would never have crossed my mind to feel, in any way, disappointed by them, even back when MTV was bombarding everyone's ears day and night with the romantic "Drive" (a nice piece in my opinion). Alas, I was forced to change my mind: if with this album Incubus wanted to make everyone happy, the only thing they managed to do is a total failure. And like me, I believe this is the sentiment shared by a good portion of the fanbase who discovered the band thanks to the phenomenal "S.C.I.E.N.C.E.", one of the best albums that crossover has gifted us in recent years…

Let me start by saying that "Morning View" has good production, but that seems like the bare minimum one can expect from a band signed to a major label; so from a sound/aesthetic point of view, everything runs smoothly (the artwork isn't bad either).
The problems grow exponentially when you start focusing on the melodies of the tracks: they are so cliché and insincere that it feels like I'm (dis)tasting many little "reheated soups"... This time, frontman Brandon Boyd seems more concerned with writing pieces that appeal to teenage girls aged between 14 and 17, rather than going in with a voice so similar to the Great Master Mike Patton. I would like to know if it is still possible (or if it ever was) to define Incubus as a nu-metal band given the high cheap rock/pop content in "Morning View": shall we call it nu-pop-rock? By all means!
Here is the evidence: Wish you were here relies on an extremely boring melodic line which then opens - uselessly - into a chorus that even the priest from my neighborhood parish could whistle;
Blood on the ground instead brings out their more aggressive side, but still lacks a well-defined target to make it credible, especially in the structure of the song. Already I'm inclined to press STOP and move on to other listens...
Instead, I press the button that takes me to the next track: more acoustic guitar with violin here and there. Little inventiveness. Zero ideas. What a bore. Do I have to continue this path of self-torture? With a bitter taste in my mouth, I move on...
Caution: it seems there's a take-off in the track Have you ever, the energy starts to be felt, the guitars are pumping and the bass at the beginning slaps (almost) violently, but the confirmation of this take-off only makes sense if the next track is equally - if not more - full of charge.
My hopes start to collapse again: Are you in? is a mix of melodic surrogates with a particular taste for a good, honest tease... Not quite there. This record gave me nothing; my emotions weren't even slightly touched.

The rock/pop is elsewhere, and "Morning View" should be avoided just like you'd avoid stepping in dog poo on the street. The classic example of a "missed opportunity" for five technically very skilled musicians.