Review Summary: I'll catch them if they fall
It’s easy to say that
Trust Fall (Side A) is a success for Incubus simply because it’s better than
If Not Now, When?. While that album isn't as bad as some people would like to think, it is almost universally agreed to represent the lowest point in Incubus’ careers. The problem with that record was that a majority of it was insipidly safe and all too predictable. Luckily, the Californian alternative rock band’s first of two EPs set to be released in 2015 strays away from the vice that flawed their seventh album. Despite being only four tracks spanning nearly twenty minutes, it offers enough variation to keep things interesting, restoring hope for Incubus’ future.
Trust Fall (Side A) consists of a mixture of sounds that both recall the Incubus of old and experiment with new ideas. The title track is a six minute-long sprawling mini-epic reminiscent of “Sick Sad Little World” off of 2004’s
A Crow Left of the Murder…, with its at times frenetic instrumentation and tightly packed energy. Mike Einzinger’s guitarwork is top-notch, and it’s nice to see Brandon Boyd’s vocals sound rejuvenated again. “Dance Like You’re Dumb” may not be as funky as
S.C.I.E.N.C.E. or
Fungus Amongus, but it’s closest they’ve came to emulating that sound since quite a while now, and while the lyrics may be a bit goofy at times, the song’s a fun enough jam to overlook them.
The EP isn’t perfect – “Make Out Party” stands out as the most problematic track, with lyrics that see Boyd at his awkwardly hormonal and a falsetto that is open to inducing cringes, yet the sludgy riff and the overall atmosphere help to nullify its weaknesses a tad. The remaining song, “Absolution Calling”, is a standard Incubus single in all of its radio-friendliness with a soaring hook and a memorable melody. Overall,
Trust Fall (Side A) is a nice rebound that manages to stir up enough interest for whatever else the band has planned for 2015.
