As I’ve listened to it, though, I think the song knows exactly where it is and where it wants to go. A good example of this is the strange song “Ad Infinitum”, which has some of the most forceful and powerful moments on the album, such as the terrific whistling sequence, but also has more abstract or reserved segments where it seems lost. That, for me, can sometimes be the mark of a great writer, though. While we were listening to this in the car, my wife remarked that some songs have parts that she absolutely loves, and also parts that she can’t stand.
A good example of this is the single “Pocket Knife”, a seriously catchy track that was the first song on the record to win me over firmly. He can seemingly build metaphors out of any mundane object, but with precision and creativity. Brandon has always been an imaginative, expressive lyricist, and this album is no different. The lyrics are certainly a high point, as well. I call that song “rivetingly honest” because of its lyrical openness about the death of a horrible person. A good example of this is the rivetingly honest track “A Better Universe” with its backwards, spurring, alien keyboard line. The keyboard melodies and synth textures are consistently both a haunting and eccentric part of this record. First, I would point to the keys, which I assume Brandon plays himself. This is something like dream pop or indie rock, but the music is far more interesting and untamed than that. Whereas his first solo album was a stripped down, acoustic affair that brought post-production changes to a minimum, Echoes and Cocoons thrives and glories in filtered, hazy abstractions. While Brandon might be known for alternative rock, this album is definitely closer to his previous solo work, 2010’s excellent The Wild Trapeze, though there are some important differences. For my two cents, Echoes and Cocoons is not lacking whatsoever in stimulation, artistry, and expression. At some point, inspiration might run out, at least in a particular medium. His work is perhaps one of the more underrated contributions to the 90s and early 00s alternative scene. Look, Brandon has been composing, touring, and living in the music industry since 1991 at least. I reviewed that album, and also a couple EPs the band produced, but this solo record is the first music by Brandon that has really grabbed me since 2011’s If Not Now, When? (and even that took awhile). Incubus has long been a favorite band in my household, stemming mainly from my wife’s love for the band, but the band’s 8 album in 2017 left us both completely cold. In my humble opinion, age has been catching up with him in the last decade, and so I feel like he’s struggled a little bit vocally and maybe even in musical inspiration. He is the dynamic front man for the legendary band Incubus, and has been making music for most of this life. Echoes and Cocoons released on March 11 th.īrandon, for most, needs no introduction.
I don’t find that it has been marketed that much, which is a shame, since it is really good, though it takes time. Brandon Boyd has returned with a new solo record. We all have those albums that don’t hit us at first, but soon we find ourselves fully immersed.