Incubus

“Monuments and Melodies”

Sony Music

Release: Out Now

4.5 out of 5 Stars

I’ve been a diehard Incubus fan for years now. Incubus was pretty much my stepping-stone into my obsession with music in fact, but the prospect of a greatest-hits albums from any band is usually met with a sigh from me.

I really don’t need a new package for all of the songs I already own, but luckily Incubus realized this fact before shaping what would become “Monuments and Melodies.”

The band could have easily slapped together “Drive,” “Wish You Were Here” and a handful of others, released it and probably sold quite a few albums.

Instead, “Monuments and Melodies” was crafted into a double album, the first album being the greatest hits, the second being unreleased rarities, b-sides and a live track.

You get to track the entire evolution of Incubus with “Monuments and Melodies,” from psychedelic funk to metal, from grunge to surf rock. We see the more commercial tracks, the experimental ones and everything in between.

The first disc of singles speaks for itself. You’ve most likely heard most of the tracks, and made judgments for yourself already.

The second disc is what sets the album apart. Many of the songs may have popped up live over the years, but this is the first chance to own them for yourself.

If you are just someone looking for a introduction into the music of Incubus, or a diehard like me wanting physical copies of rarities on your hard drive, look no further. This is quite the monument to the band indeed.

Major Lazer

“Guns Don’t Kill People ... Lazers Do”

Downtown Records

Release: Out Now

2.5 out of 5 Stars

Sometimes life throws you a couple of curveballs, and the only solution is to dance it out. I was hoping Major Lazer might give me the means to do just that, but instead, I was a little bewildered by what I got.

Major Lazer is the duo of DJs/producers Diplo and Switch, and they have fashioned an album that feels as though it was lifted out of 2050 using a DeLorean and a flux capacitor. But as futuristic and unexplored as it feels, it quickly falls into something utterly unexciting. A few supernovas fill a big black void with this debut.

Largely, the album feels like a reconstruction of all sorts of musical genres, seamed together with a sort of cosmic feel with a sloppy sewing hand.

If you are looking for something to get you dancing, this might not quite be the album for you. If you want something that feels completely new and unexplored, then Major Lazer is just the frontier for you.

-Joshua Boydston