Make Yourself

Incubus

Incubus' Make Yourself was one of the first records I owned and for a spell, I considered them to be my favourite band. Around this time, I was enthralled by nu-metal. I loved the aggression, the jarring and dissonant guitar work, as well as the grooves and sounds typically associated with funk and hip-hop. While many consider some of those seminal nu-metal works to be quite tacky today, I think Incubus is one of the few groups whose works around this period, specifically Make Yourself, have aged quite gracefully. This is thanks to wonderfully dynamic songwriting, stellar musicianship, and perhaps most important to me, a wealth of different guitar sounds and effects. I remember vividly listening to this record all those years ago and finally clueing in that there was a vastly different guitar sound on every single song. I realized right then and there just how malleable the guitar is. Hearing that level of sound craft wound up being so incredibly influential to me in my own songwriting pursuits.

This record kicks things off with the crunchy, funky Privilege, a relatively straightforward, driving tune with some great drum fills and a neat hip-hop inspired bridge. Nowhere Fast kicks up the sense of adventure with a flanged guitar intro that is immediately ear-grabbing. I also love the stark contrast between the chorus and verses. The former is somewhat sludgy with the half-time, crashing groove and the saturated, distorted guitars. The roles are almost reversed in the verses as the guitars approach in a much more rounded manner, providing space for the quickly paced and intricate drum pattern that is supporting them. Later on, there's a really cool moment that leads into the final chorus; a neat tremolo and radio band are applied to Brandon Boyd's voice. The intensity only increases until it becomes a harsh stutter that explodes back into the thick wall of guitars. It was mind blowing the first time I heard it, and it still is today. The good times keep rolling with the curious Consequence, which has a really catchy guitar line that is chorused and reverbed to give it an interesting colour.

The Warmth provides the first cool down moment but does not sacrifice any of the sound craft. There are so many interesting textures on this track like the odd, whale call-like sound effects, the ping-ponging high-pitched guitar bleeps, and a distorted guitar tone that is similar to hearing an airplane flying overhead. This track also has a searing guitar solo that is constantly shifting and warping until the tension breaks for a powerful final chorus. From here, we go into possibly my favourite track on the record, When It Comes. Just like the previous tracks, there is so much going on sound wise, but I feel like this song is even more of a journey. There's two verse sections with two vastly different feels, a rather aggressive pre-chorus section, and a heavy, yet melodic and soaring chorus. After a quick build-up, the song finishes with an epic outro that features some prominent turntable action that actually sounds really cool in the moment. In addition to the winding nature of this song, it also has some of the best vocal melodies and unexpected chord progressions on the entire record.

The second half of the record is still really good, but I would say the energy and excitement certainly wanes. I never liked Drive and after revisiting it after all this time, that still remains true. I just can't help but picture a circle of college bros with acoustic guitars and a cajón drum doing their awful rendition on the campus lawn. That right there is enough to leave a bad taste in my mouth. Clean has a really cool, lengthy build-up that features some flanged bongos and tension fueling guitar noises. However, once we get past this point, we get some corny, spiteful lyrics that feel very 'of the era' and a chorus that feels equally dated. I have similar feelings on the chorus of Pardon Me, although the verses with their start-stop grooves, more intricate drumming, and the alternating guitar swells and pulses make this song hard not to love. Another song that is hard to forget is the album's centerpiece and title track. Make Yourself feels really confrontational with the phrases that feel like they are skipping a beat and especially with the way the vocals are treated. Boyd's vocals are slightly distorted, but also feel claustrophobically close in my ears. Even the way the exaggerated breaths between phrases have been left in add to the unsettling nature of the tune. This track also has one of Boyd's most unhinged performances on the record, as he completely spazzes out over the bridge with some exasperated screams.

I could speak endlessly of this record, and the amazing thing is that I am continuing to discover new things today even though this record came out twenty-three years ago. This record is full of compositions that feel studied, but not at all pretentious or lifeless. The playing and performances from all members is frankly mesmerizing, and on just this record alone, is a complete library of amazing sounds that I still have yet to fully catalogue. Make Yourself is truly an amazing record and a shining moment in alternative rock that came from an era that people more often look back on with jaded cynicism, rather than rose-coloured glasses.