The men of incubus have for a long time held a particular spot in the world of rock music. A cross-over act that started out with an edgy mix of all that was good about heavy rock, funk and hip-hop (owing to the scratching and lyrivcal delivery), evovling to spacy grooves, ocean side views and finally into the quaint soundscapes of a crow left of the murder and its less endearing, though still amicable sibling, light grenades. There was often a sense of novelty with the work of incubus, the last of such being the move in style between morning view and aclotm. However the vibe has not progressed much between their last two albums, resembling somewhat the relation between make yourself and its follow up. With their final installment incubus do not quite shake the umbra which they seem to have picked up with aclotm. The somewhat staccato bass loops, the almost invariable song structures and the increasingly theatric presence of Brandon Boyd sound all too familiar. According to main composer & guitarist Einziger, this was the album that would challenge the fanbase, and while he may be right, all those who have embraced the proficient bits spawned in the indie scene, or for that matter are familiar with the broad catalogue of all things mid-tempo and hearty, will be underwhelmed with if not now, when? Going for more dramatic, deep and slow sonics, incubus delivers highlights far and wide. The band bestows the songs with sufficient layers and the performance is tight, but to a weathered ear they sound contrived & bland. The delivery by Boyd is not heartfelt. He sounds as too much of a performer to carry a song on his own. Simplicity begs for spirit, tortured souls or a voice beaming with character.. Boyd's voice works better as company to energetic and vivid instrumentals, rather than being the lead all the time. However, Boyd alone is not to blame here, the band as a whole underperform. The rhythm is plain, the melodies textbook, and the virtuosity a distant cousin. All in all, inn,w? is the work of band that is exploring new grounds, but delivering a record that feels dated and unimaginative. They would do well to pay attention and allow themselves to be impressed by other, I dare say newer, artists before they make the next album; because stale and irksome, if not now, when? is indeed what they should be asking themselves.
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