19.

Incubus
Light Grenades

A real late runner, I have only had this for about three weeks, and it has made a big impression. Light Grenades represents album two of the ‘new sound of Incubus’ project, and it is as successful, I would say, as its predecessor, A Crow Left of the Murder. This is not the incendiary band of the late 90s who took funk and metal and used crazed guitar noises and helped shaped my musical landscape so massively. They are older, calmer, and, it must be said, less willing to take risks. Incubus have grown up. Of course, I have grown up too (if S.C.I.E.N.C.E was released today would I fall in love with it as I once did?). Reflective and beautiful, and at times really quite poignant, when Incubus turn on their new ‘sun-kissed’ pop rock seeped in lazy guitar effects, it works wonders (see ‘Love Hurts’ or ‘Paper Shoes’). Indeed, it is when they do attempt to reproduce something akin to their old sound it all goes a little bit wrong (single ‘Anna Molly’ and ‘Light Grenades’ itself are both fine, I guess, but they did it better in ’97…). A quality album, though not the classic that the superbly atmospheric opener ‘Quicksand’ suggested it might be, and not a patch on any of their first three releases. But then, I think this album is generally different enough that it should be judged on other criteria altogether…