MUSICREVIEW Incubus Light Grenades 3 stars Trying new things is always good, but when it backfires the smartest move is to go with what works. With the release of Light Grenades, Incubus has done exactly that. After A Crow Left of the Murder made little more than a ripple in a tepid pool of stagnant sales in 2004, the band has rebounded with an album that features a return to the group's true sound. Light Grenades blends the smooth melodic introspection of Morning View with the alt-metal intensity of Make Yourself while remaining true to the bands funk-rock roots of its S.C.I.E.N.C.E. era. The album crackles with bursts of compositional influences from the group's stylistic foray into the world of video game theme music via 2004's Halo II Soundtrack. Grenades sees guitarist Mike Einziger's technical prowess step out from the shadows to assert itself as a formidable component of the group's coveted melancholy metal sound. The would-be hit single "Anna Molly" stands out as one of the most hook-driven tracks on the album, yet still fails to pack as much of a punch as the group's past hits. For listeners who fell in love with the group's sound around the release of Make Yourself and Morning View, "Love Hurts" will ring true as the classic eerily intoxicating ambience-rock you've come to expect. The track puts an existential twist on the age-old concept of how even the most heavenly feeling can sometimes still hurt like hell. The smooth crisp vocals of front man Brandon Boyd drip with the artist's effortless sex appeal. Grenades retains the group's unique lyrical perspective of optimistic melancholy laced with existential angst. Experimentally edgy and refreshingly unclassifiable, the California-born ensemble continues to defy expectations with creative stylistic synergy and genre-blending fusion. Overall, the album is an above average effort and a considerable leap back toward the group's core sound. Contact the Diversions Editor at dive@unc.edu.
