Hello waveriders. Had
you asked me as recently as two weeks ago whether I would be reviewing a new
release from the band Incubus, I
would have told you that the odds were incredibly low. As I'm certain all of you know Incubus is not a new band, and they
certainly are not unheralded. Obscure is
not a term the vast majority of music fans would ever apply to them. But here I am folks, writing about the newly
released Trust Fall (Side A) EP.
First and foremost let me say that I am an Incubus fan. I have been listening to this band since 1999.
Their S.C.I.E.N.C.E. album sounds as invigorating to my ears now as it
did 16 years ago when I heard it for the first time. All that being said, I honestly thought I was
done with this group. Their last full
length album that I really enjoyed, Light
Grenades, was released back in 2006.
The band went on hiatus in 2008 for a variety of reasons but reemerged
in 2011 with an album called If Not Now,
When?.
Unfortunately for me If
Not... failed to move the needle inside my brain. The songs that comprise this album are almost
universally laid back and relaxed. The
aggression and urgency I enjoyed on Incubus'
previous releases was nowhere to be found.
Now, because I am an irrational fanboy, I convinced myself that the
elements of Incubus' music that I am
most interested in would never be heard from again.
To me it was extraordinarily simple. Incubus
from then on would create music exclusively for happy, complacent people and
never again write an uptempo number designed for malcontents like yours truly. I wasn't bitter or resentful. We'd had a great run over several albums! No, I simply accepted what I imagined to be the
future state of affairs and stopped paying attention to the band.
Flash forward to present day. While looking at the new Faith No More album on
Amazon I noticed that "customers who bought this item also bought"
the Trust Fall EP. Thanks to my inattention I had no idea that Incubus had released any new
music. Despite my fear of further
disappointment I clicked on the link to investigate. What can I say? My musical heartstrings are hopelessly loyal
and in this case were richly rewarded.
Yes that's right waveriders.
All four songs on this EP are bristling with energy and excitement! The title track gallops forward off the
strength of it's main guitar riff and powerful, propulsive drumming. "Make Out Party" is the answer to
what Incubus would sound like if
they played sludgy doom metal.
"Absolution Calling" features assertive synth lines that partner
with driving bass work to keep the listener movin' and groovin'. The EP concludes with "Dance Like You're
Dumb". This is the fastest song of
the four on offer, recalls classic Incubus
tracks like "Hilikus" and "Deep Inside", and also
contains the lyric 'she's a pink Boba Fett'. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, what more do
you want?
To put a bow on this writeup if, like me, you were
disillusioned by If Not Now, When?
then I highly recommend picking up a copy of the Trust Fall (Side A) EP.
There is a strong possibility your faith in Incubus will be restored and then we can wait for Trust Fall (Side B) together!
- Penfold
Buy Here: Amazon
Comments