Incubus

Editor's Review:

Upon immersing myself in Incubus’ debut six-song EP, I could immediately hear the band’s current influences: 311 and Korn sprinkled with a little Red Hot Chili Peppers, Faith No More and Rage Against The Machine.

These current influences coincide with singer Brandon Boyd’s early roots in Sly and the Family Stone, Average White Band and James Brown, which are also evident in the music.

Although not as hardcore as Korn, Incubus seems to be more graceful and less contrived than Korn when transitioning from the funk portions of the music to the thrash parts. The funk and melodies are as effective as 311’s, but Incubus doesn’t use that tired, outdated style of dueling vocalists that 311 favors.

Track one, "You Will Be a Hot Dancer," sums up the style: various funk riffs seasoned with an industrial-thrash spice and crafted with tasteful, listener-friendly production.

Hearing the second track, "Shaft," and knowing the band’s influences, my first inclination was that this was a cover of the ’70s movie soundtrack Shaft by Isaac Hayes. However, the intro of the song features Santa Claus being called a fat-ass by a little kid. Taking that into consideration, I think the song title has more to do with the stiff protrusion that little girls and boys sometimes feel when sitting on Santa’s lap.

"Take Me To Your Leader" is funky and Faith No More-ish while "Version" is the EP’s best song, skillfully combining funk and a user-friendly transition. At one point, the band segues from a jazzy, drone-chord rhythm into another Korn-like rhythm and finally settles into a reggae-calypso groove reminiscent of the Mudsharks, all while singing about its own version of society.

"Azwethinkweiz," (pronounced "as-we-think-we-is") and "Hilikus," are the two most straightforward, Pepperesque funk songs. However, like the rest of the EP, these two songs are distinctly Incubus.

Don’t stop the CD player at the end of track six: let it play for another 10 minutes, and, after the silent space, a jazzy-cool, four-minute beat-jam ensues. Interesting.

-by Bret Lueder


Write Your Own Review

Bookmark:

Record Label Sony Music Released April 2001

Tracks You Will Be a Hot Dancer Shaft Take Me to Your Leader Version Azwethinkweiz Hilikus