With the typical quiet verse-heavy chorus structure, the song works out perfectly as a single. The verse brings things down and Brandon does more of a rap than singing. It features a rocking riff, simple yet still perfectly executed and written. Pardon Me, a single that found immense success, still finding time on the radio airwaves 8 years later, best describes that sound. The definitive sound to the album is much more aggressive and generally heavier. The Warmth is an anomaly on Make Yourself. Brandon’s lyrics are uplifting and depressing at the same time, singing that most of the world is a cold, heartless place, but there is a small section of life, “the warmth” that is a calm place. The simple rhythmic bridge offers a change of feels, as the rest of the song relies on the same groove and chord progression, just different articulation. There is a good sense of growth, making sure that the longest song on the album does not drag. As the bass and drums sets in and the Smashing Pumpkins-esque guitar line sings, the song brews in its quiet, laid back groove.
The song begins with sampled whale cries, definitely an atmosphere setter. And it worked, maybe better than any other song on the album.
However, The Warmth serves as the first Incubus song ever where they took the time to slow things down and make something subtle. Never before Make Yourself had Incubus tried to be subtle. The album brews in its intensity and still, it comes down in intensity and rises back to its normal height in the blink of an eye. But even greater than the mix of sounds and the great album ideas is the execution. The album’s message, one of resisting oppression and “seeing the sky”, is a break from the sarcasm and humor often used by singer Brandon Boyd in his earlier days.Īll of those ideas are great, but there are plenty of bands that have tried it and failed, just creating a strange, ineffective sound. Although a hybrid of many different things, Make Yourself is a cohesive album, with a defining concept of non-conformity and acting upon ideas. It isn’t immediately apparent because it is so well blended, but there are the funky grooves from bassist Dirk Lance, the punk energy of drummer Jose Pasillas, the clear DJ cuts screaming from DJ Kilmore, and guitarist Mike Einzinger’s ability to switch styles on the fly. This represents the amount of influences and sounds incorporated into Incubus’ sound. It features that Transformers like artwork found in the album jacket, with a robot composed of all different parts. That poster I mentioned in the opening is in my room now. But this might just be the most well executed blend of everything going around in the modern rock scene in 1999. It didn’t change the face of modern music forever although it finished the 20th century off well by producing some singles with some real staying power ( Drive, Pardon Me, and Stellar). I understand why people find this a mediocre album in the grand scheme of things. Make Yourself may be Incubus’ finest work, the perfect blend of their aggression and their funk-rock roots. How can you go wrong with a band that possesses a tight, accessible rock sound with the ability to take everything down and lay down a sweet groove, all while keeping an intensity and never losing sight of what they are trying to achieve with this album? Not to mention Brandon Boyd’s unique lyrics, which he sings near perfectly, and the fantastic bass skills of Dirk Lance. To him, Make Yourself was one of the best albums created in mainstream music, and for a short time I agreed with him. However, my brother loved posters in his adolescent years, and he had an Incubus poster from the Make Yourself days. I don’t really like posters all that much they’re kind of a waste of money, especially for me, because I don’t spend any time in my room. Review Summary: Plain and simple- this is mainstream rock done right.
0 kommentar(er)
