Incubus Painted A Beautiful Picture In "Morning View"

A big part of any album is its scenery. An album with an amazing setting is arguably as great as an album with great meaning behind it. Sometimes they go hand in hand for something truly incredible. Incubus painted a beautiful picture in Morning View that really defined what it meant to set the scene with an album.

Morning View is inspired by the location it was recorded in: a studio next to a beautiful view of the ocean (as the album cover pictures). Every thing about this album has the aesthetic of an oceanside view, opening with the first cracks of light in the day with 'Nice To Know You,' the mysterious opening leading to some big chords and lots of groove. 'Circles' continues the aggression with huge riffs before the bridge takes a breather for some great atmosphere. Brandon Boyd sings of enjoying the moment and the process of the record in 'Wish You Were Here,' delivering the good vibes of the warm sun next to the shore line.

There are lots of sounds on Morning View that come together to really make the album sound wholesome. The ambience of whales on the intro of 'The Warmth' gives the scenery more detail as the wobbly guitars bolster it, while the vintage vibe of 'Mexico' and the sweetness of 'Echo' adds romance to the setting. The grungy sound of '11am' and its beautiful vocals adds character to the music and the scene, while you can just lay back and chill with 'Just A Phase.' Closing track 'Aqueous Transmission' brings the record to close as night sets in and nature takes over, the Chinese instruments and Japanese orchestra bringing the record out on a stunning note.

Incubus painted a beautiful picture in Morning View and really defined what it meant to have an incredible scenery in an album. There's still no album that has quite matched its atmosphere, and maybe one will never come. This album is as close to a masterpiece as one can really get.

Favorite Tracks: The Warmth, Aqueous Transmission, Wish You Were Here

Least Favorite Track: Blood On The Ground

Rating: 92 / 100

Stream or buy Morning View on Apple Music: