S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
The bass gets as much room to lead as the guitar on S.C.I.E.N.C.E. That is a large part of the album's appeal. Incubus make heavy music with a flexible centre, allowing the rhythm to turn, bounce and briefly pull away from the riff before the whole band lands together again.
Redefine establishes the physical force of that sound immediately. Dirk Lance's bass has a substantial presence, and Mike Einziger's distorted guitar gives the song a harder edge without flattening its movement. Brandon Boyd shifts between controlled singing and a more frantic delivery, treating the voice as another instrument that can change the pressure.
New Skin and A Certain Shade of Green make the most of the band's ability to combine a strong groove with sharp bursts of aggression. The latter moves at a particularly urgent pace, but the playing remains coordinated enough for the accents to count. It is energetic music with a surprising amount of precision inside it.
Summer Romance (Anti-Gravity Love Song) changes the temperature. Its floating melody and saxophone passage introduce a more relaxed setting, while the rhythm keeps a quiet connection to the surrounding songs. Deep Inside takes another route, moving from a supple verse into much rougher sections. The transitions are part of its character, making the song feel playful even when it becomes abrasive.
The turntables and additional percussion broaden the range of sounds, although the album does not always join its ideas gracefully. Several heavier tracks use similar changes of pace and attack, and the crowded surface can make a promising detail disappear before it has made an impression. The restless approach is occasionally more exciting than the resulting song.
That impatience is also a reason S.C.I.E.N.C.E. remains engaging. Incubus sound willing to try an awkward turn if it might reveal something more interesting. The best tracks make that risk worthwhile, combining the pleasure of a hard riff with a rhythm section that refuses to become its passive support. There is plenty to follow beneath the immediate noise.
