Please refer to the subtitle of this blog for the title of this post...

(Sorry, you're not a winner.)


Incubus are one of the more ambiguous and refreshingly creative bands you could choose to listen to - think Chili Peppers meets Pearl Jam. Their debut album S.C.I.E.N.C.E is like nothing you have heard or will ever hear again - constantly switching from tender whisper-like vocals to heavy metal screams with the odd bongo drum thrown in (sounds weird doesn't it, but trust me it just works). To back that up, their second album Make Yourself  was just as inspiring and just as exciting. In fact, nearly everything that Brandon Boyd and the crew have put their name to has been gold-star worthy - they unashamedly do their own thing in their own way no matter what. However weird, it sounds wonderful - until now. 
Us Incubus fans have been waiting for five (long) years for the release of their new album and, well, it wasn't worth the wait - to say the least. If Not Now, When? is lacking punch, creativity, tight riffs, quirky lyrics, passion and all those other things that make them so damn good - I wanted to like this album. No, I expected to love this album - of course, Incubus make beautiful music.
I read a review for this album that hit the nail on the head when he said that it's 'like Coldplay without the choruses' (ha!) I would describe it as constrained - I kept expecting something to fucking happen, anything - like what is going on Brandon Boyd where's the magic? How, how, how could the same band that put such songs as 'Drive' and 'Pardon me' out there come up with this? 
I've listened to it twice now - and that's me done with it - but there are two songs on it that remind us of Boyd's ability to pen a good tune; Adolescents, and In the Company Of Wolves (actually they are both quite beautiful). 
No love lost though, even my beloved Nirvana wrote a couple of dodgy songs - but it just seems a shame that they didn't recognise themselves that releasing an almost entirely acoustic album would be kinda boring. My advice to all Incubus fans, listen to it and just hope it's a one off mistake and appreciate the two good tracks on there. And, my advice to all non-incubus fans? You might even like it so give it a go but be aware that if this is to be your first taste of Incubus, then it's not really a taste at all.. more like a lick.