With the exception of punk, most CD’s that are released today are not likely to have an active political message. Long time fans, or just someone looking for good music with some politically motivated lyrics might be interested in picking up the new Incubus CD A Crow Left of the Murder. This is the band’s fifth full length release. The album is a couple minutes short of an hour and has 14 new tracks.
The new CD has taken on a much more serious approach in delivering its message. The shifting musical themes of the band have taken yet another turn. The change can be readily noticed in the artwork and lyrics of the band. The artwork is very austere and marked by dark colors. The imagery of crows and red flowers is repeated on several occasions. If these signs aren’t enough to give away the new overtone of the album, then a quick read of the lyrics should.
The lyrical style used is different in some ways but similar in others. I found the lyrics to be nicely linked to the rhythm of the song, a trend that can be found in almost all their music. The main difference is the story that is told.
Many of the songs contain very opinionated messages commenting on American policy and our society’s apathy for the violence that is occurring in the world. An allusion to Orwell’s classic 1984 can also be found in one of the songs. Musically it is fairly similar to previous CDs, keeping their energetic modern rock sound. They manage to nicely blend in some strong messages that I feel most listeners can relate to.
The first single from the album is “Megalomaniac,” which gives a good view of what can be expected of the other songs. “Megalomaniac” makes many references to political leaders and how they impose their views on society.
Don’t be mistaken though there are several songs that are just about personal relationships and people’s daily lives. Listeners can expect to enjoy some mellow tracks that are nice to listen to and relax after a stressful day of class or work. A few of the tracks I particularly enjoyed were “A Crow Left of the Murder, Here in my Room, and Southern Girl”.
Most of Incubus’ returning fans should enjoy the new album. Their style has changed, but you can find similar sounds to those of almost all of their previous albums in at least one song or another.
If this album has one fault it is that it tries to do too much on one CD. It reverts to more of its rock roots, with some of its more mainstream ties that can be found in “Morning View”. So if you enjoy modern rock or most of Incubus’s previous work, then go out and get a copy today. I give it 4 out of 5.
