Album Review: Morning View by Incubus

Second album review I've done, and one of their most popular albums. This is one of my mother's favorite bands, so I've already heard some of the songs on this album, but not many. This time instead of listening to the whole album first and having a concept of which ones I like the most, I'm writing them as I listen to the songs. 

[Track 1] Nice To Know You: I really like this one, between the sound and the lyrics, it really hits home. The chorus really strikes a chord with me especially the lines, "I haven't felt the way I feel today in so long it's hard to specify" I love the way he puts emphasis on certain words, it almost feels the same as line weight for an artist. Also I like the line "Nice to know you, goodbye" It shows that sometimes things drift off and connections fade but that doesn't mean the entire time you spent together was bad, it just means it's ending. 

[Track 2] Circles: Absolutely love the guitar at the beginning of this song, paired with the drums it really makes it a great high energy intro! Again his voice and emphasis really reminds me of different uses of line weight in line art. The part where he says "blink blink blink" is kind of funny, and also brings a sort of levity and absurdity to the infinite cycle that he's referencing with the song. The lyric "Existential Carousel spin" is great, the whole bridge is really well placed as a slower part in the song, and their use of cymbals as punctuation and beat is really great. 

[Track 3] Wish You Were Here: AHHHH okay this one is a CLASSIC, and one of my favorite Incubus songs overall. "The Ocean looks like a thousand diamonds, strewn across a blue blanket" The use of imagery in this song is perfect, and it's a song I can really connect to. That feeling of doing something, like standing on the beach at night and just wishing someone was next to you in the moments where you are content and happy. The shift from standing and looking out at the ocean to laying down and looking at the sky for UFOs in the second verse is done really well, and overall the imagery in this song is just perfect. The bridge is immaculate, "The world's a roller coaster, and I am not strapped in, maybe I should hold with care but my hands are busy in the air saying I wish you were here" After the calm and peacefully imagery of the beach the jump to this dangerous action, not being strapped into a roller coaster and not holding on while wishing someone was there with you is not only jarring but a great comparison between being happy and content in a peaceful place and being somewhere thrilling, while still craving the presence of that same person. 

[Track 4] Just A Phase

[Track 5] 11 am

[Track 6] Blood On The Ground

[Track 7] Mexico

[Track 8] Warning

[Track 9] Echo

[Track 10] Have You Ever

[Track 11] Are You In?

[Track 12] Under My Umbrella

[Track 13] Aqueous Transmission