Over Incubus’ seven year hiatus, drummer Jose Pasillas became a dad, lead singer Brandon Boyd released a solo album, guitarist Michael Einziger studied various music and science courses at college, and the band collectively released a Greatest Hits album, so naturally, they’re sound is more mature. LIGHT GRENADES (2006) was Incubus’ initial – and successful – stepping stone from grunge to soft rock, and their newest album IF NOT NOW, WHEN? is basically an extended, elaborated version of that.
Their electro-jazz influence is still heavily present, particularly with the bass and drums (i.e “Thieves”), and their new songs continue to showcase Boyd’s amazing vocals. Incubus has shown their audience that they’ve grown musically while keeping their unique sound present.
Again, it’s different from old Incubus (and Boyd now has a moustache!), but IF NOT NOW, WHEN? was well worth the wait. – 4.5/5
BEST OF THE ALBUM
“Isadore”
“Defiance”
“Switchblade”
“Thieves”
“Adolescents”