2008 Woodie Awards
Light Grenades: Heavy artillery for Philly stop
Adrienne Mauro '09
Issue date: 1/24/07 Section: Entertainment
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Incubus's sixth studio album, Light Grenades takes a turn back in the direction of the Incubus of the past. Released on Nov. 28, 2006, the album combines driven rock songs with sultry ballads in a neatly composed 13 tracks. Light Grenades concentrates on lyrics and delivery while their fifth album, A Crow Left of the Murder, released in February 2004, had more political motives, portraying George W. Bush as a missile-toting mad man. Light Grenades, produced by Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Korn), takes the listener on a roller coaster ride, shifting between fast and slow songs to produce a unique album experience.
The album begins with the subdued, unconventional keyboard sounds of "Quicksand", but then blends seamlessly into the stronger rock song "A Kiss to Send Us Off". A wave of drums and heavy guitar sounds rise and crash to give the listener Brandon Boyd's voice, streaming with thought-provoking lyrics about one last kiss goodbye. "Dig", a slower love ballad paves the way for the album's first single, "Anna Molly". Lyrically, it is a "lament about the perfect woman," and her lack of existence as Boyd explains, "Anna Molly" is full of signature Incubus rock sounds, driving home a solid first single. "Love Hurts" comes next on the album, acting as a cliché about love and the hope that the experience will not be tainted with pain. The title track, "Light Grenades", explodes frantically after the previous slow love song. Boyd explains that the song is lyrically "demanding that the changes that occur in the world and in world culture are intellectual and spiritual and artistic changes as opposed to political or weapons-based changes." As is a tendency of Incubus, the songs' lyrics hold more weight than just a catchy rhyme, but rather carry real-world relevance.
Up next on the album, "Earth to Bella" is a song split in two parts. Part one ascends and explodes, but instead of keeping the descent with the original track, their producer suggested a split. Track eight, "Oil and Water", takes the simple image of two unmixable substances to portray the bigger idea of two people who love each other but cannot stay together. "Diamonds and Coal" takes a different spin on music than Incubus typically does. Instead of messing with time signatures and crazy DJ table sounds, the track is a more straightforward rock song. "Rogues," easily the heaviest song on the album, is a mix of heavy rock sounds, with strong percussion and bass. The next song "Paper Shoes" slows Light Grenades down considerably, concentrating mostly on the beautiful instrumentation with an unusual asymmetrical guitar riff. "Pendulous Threads" speeds it back up discussing the idea of a loose thread that will unravel the entirety of the person to which it is attached. The album ends with the conclusion of "Earth to Bella," a beautiful and almost acoustic-sounding finale to Incubus' most recent accomplishment.
In promotion of their sixth release, Incubus is in the midst of a world-wide tour. Starting in Canada, the band will then travel from coast to coast in the United States. Taking a short break in February, Incubus will then go over seas to travel through the likes of Iceland, Germany, France, Spain, and Ireland to please their international fans. Only playing in intimate venues, the shows are bound to be an interactive and memorable experiences.
The album begins with the subdued, unconventional keyboard sounds of "Quicksand", but then blends seamlessly into the stronger rock song "A Kiss to Send Us Off". A wave of drums and heavy guitar sounds rise and crash to give the listener Brandon Boyd's voice, streaming with thought-provoking lyrics about one last kiss goodbye. "Dig", a slower love ballad paves the way for the album's first single, "Anna Molly". Lyrically, it is a "lament about the perfect woman," and her lack of existence as Boyd explains, "Anna Molly" is full of signature Incubus rock sounds, driving home a solid first single. "Love Hurts" comes next on the album, acting as a cliché about love and the hope that the experience will not be tainted with pain. The title track, "Light Grenades", explodes frantically after the previous slow love song. Boyd explains that the song is lyrically "demanding that the changes that occur in the world and in world culture are intellectual and spiritual and artistic changes as opposed to political or weapons-based changes." As is a tendency of Incubus, the songs' lyrics hold more weight than just a catchy rhyme, but rather carry real-world relevance.
Up next on the album, "Earth to Bella" is a song split in two parts. Part one ascends and explodes, but instead of keeping the descent with the original track, their producer suggested a split. Track eight, "Oil and Water", takes the simple image of two unmixable substances to portray the bigger idea of two people who love each other but cannot stay together. "Diamonds and Coal" takes a different spin on music than Incubus typically does. Instead of messing with time signatures and crazy DJ table sounds, the track is a more straightforward rock song. "Rogues," easily the heaviest song on the album, is a mix of heavy rock sounds, with strong percussion and bass. The next song "Paper Shoes" slows Light Grenades down considerably, concentrating mostly on the beautiful instrumentation with an unusual asymmetrical guitar riff. "Pendulous Threads" speeds it back up discussing the idea of a loose thread that will unravel the entirety of the person to which it is attached. The album ends with the conclusion of "Earth to Bella," a beautiful and almost acoustic-sounding finale to Incubus' most recent accomplishment.
In promotion of their sixth release, Incubus is in the midst of a world-wide tour. Starting in Canada, the band will then travel from coast to coast in the United States. Taking a short break in February, Incubus will then go over seas to travel through the likes of Iceland, Germany, France, Spain, and Ireland to please their international fans. Only playing in intimate venues, the shows are bound to be an interactive and memorable experiences.
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