Obstructed View

With Morning View, Incubus is trying to recapture the success of its previous album, Make Yourself--success that earned them enough clout to retreat to a house in Malibu overlooking the ocean for the purpose of recording the follow-up effort. However, the band's seaside location seems to have had a mixed effect. Morning View's first single, "Wish You Were Here," finds them imbued with the peace and beauty of the ocean and beach both musically and lyrically. This song's sweeping melody also suggests that Incubus is moving in a more melodic direction, distancing itself from hard-rock peers such as Korn and Limp Bizkit.

However, for much of the first part of the album, Incubus seems to have not yet reached this stage of evolution. While a track such as "Circles" never evolves from the metal riffs of its opening verse, others like "Blood on the Ground" are uncharacteristically mean-spirited.

Nonetheless, on several cuts, such as "Nice to Know You" and "Warning," Incubus has been able to craft more musically textured compositions, allowing their songs to evolve from simple electronic rhythms to more melodic, dramatic choruses. Moreover, the material on Morning View runs the gamut from harder, more violent tracks to contemplative songs such as "11 am" and "Mexico," which seem to truly encapsulate the feelings of loneliness and betrayal expressed by both songs, respectively. With these tracks, Incubus reveals its musical prowess not only within individual songs but also on the album as a whole.

Although Incubus begins Morning View with more abrasive, predictable material, the band is still capable of demonstrating its ability to craft introspective, melodic compositions, which make the band poised for future success.

GRADE: B-