I was a child raised on classic rock bands, and Incubus is one of the many ingrained in my childhood memories. My family used to listen to old CD’s on my dad’s stereo, and we loved the heavy drum beats and wailing guitar solos.
On April 21, Incubus released a new album, simply titled “8.” This is the first full album they have released since 2011. They did release an EP titled “Trust Fall (Side A)” in 2015, which had four songs on it.
“8” is very different from their original sound. Though they do keep some elements of classic rock, it almost seems to verge more on the pop side than previous albums. The new songs range from the mellow “Loneliest” to the almost traditional rock anthem “Nimble Bastard.”
The band has declined in popularity since their success of the early 2000’s due to changes in the music scene and lack of new, unique content. Though I did enjoy this album for nostalgia’s sake, that was pretty much the only reason I enjoyed it. The songs are decent separately, but together they are not cohesive and it makes the experience almost uncomfortable.
This album may give the band the boost they need to start producing again with a different fanbase, but for longtime listeners such as myself and my parents, it does not compare to the sound we used to know and love.
More information on Incubus and future releases is available on their website.
