3/5 stars
After four years away, Incubus have attempted to shift with the times and present their new material in a more easily digestible EP form. They’re not the first to attempt a deviation from the album format – everyone from Ash to ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic has given it a try and returned to long-players with tail between legs.
For a band that has not made an EP for nearly 20 years, the return feels slightly awkward and untimely – even if there’s some merit within the four songs on offer. The title track throws some bright guitar shimmer to the wind generated by Brandon Boyd’s soaring vocal, while ‘Absolution Calling’ nods to the pop smarts the band picked up through hits in the late ’90s and early 2000s. The problem, however, lies with the fact these tracks are neither allowed to gain momentum nor find their place within the context of a full, proper album. Trust Fall feels like a project the Incubus hive-mind has not properly thought through.
As the band members move toward their 40s and look to maintain a degree of relevance, there’s a sense that Incubus will come away from this isolating both long-time fans and newcomers alike.
