I'VE NEVER HAD UNPAID CONFIDANTS (OR THE TOP TEN INCUBUS SONGS)

IIncubus has always been a varied band. Although I haven't listened to them routinely in a few albums, large amounts of their work are great. They swing from heavier ranges, to eclectic tracks that vaguely sound like other styles or artists, to swoony ballads to make female knees weak. One of the few successful bands that was initially lumped into “Nu- Metal” they’ve managed to build a large base over the years, and although they aren’t in my top ten all time, there's no discounting them as a bad band. Today we count down what I think are their favorite tracks. Enjoy! Up top you’ll find a link to listen as you read.

10 HERE IN MY ROOM: A CROW LEFT OF THE MURDER
Without a doubt one of their most romantically charged songs. “Here in my Room” is the tale of lame late nights forcibly trying to have fun until suddenly, you’re greeted by a lovely vision of a person you have yet to meet. This is one of the best examples of world building the band has done, and the guitars are inescapable in a beautiful, science fiction inspired way. Boyd even explains in detail how if “the world would fall apart in a fiction worthy wind” it would be fine because he’d be with the most important person in his life. It’s a triumph that is often overlooked because it wasn’t a radio hit, but as you can see by its placement here, it’s one of the reasons I keep going back to this band.

9 IN THE COMPANY OF WOLVES: IF NOT NOW, WHEN? 
By this point in the band's career, there had begun talk that the band had seen their peak. Though still a massive draw, the critical acclaim was sliding, yet when you listen to the meandering, dark tinge of “In the Company of Wolves,” it feels like a brilliant and natural profession. It’s also more experimental than many of the other songs on this record. Boyd’s lyrics in this song portray a brutal, tough world. The boy mentioned early in the song is now dead, figuratively speaking, as the man out in the wild is forced to navigate a black, unflinching world. The instrumental section perfectly compliments the natural growth of the vocals. In the end, at least in my mind, it became a classic and a reminder of his great these guys can be. 

8 A KISS TO SEND US OFF: LIGHT GRENADES
While I still have yet to hear this album to the extent of some of the earlier ones, this track absolutely left me blindsided in the best way possible. It’s one of the heaviest, most epic openings they’ve ever done, and when the rock begins, you're lost to the momentum. Everything about this track kicks my ass. Boyd has a little bit of a Mike Patton thing happening in the chorus, which is fine by me, but beyond that the guitar soars, his voice soars higher, and the drums somehow reach even higher to make a truly mind blowing track that is Incubus at their heaviest. A seriously underrated track that I still can’t get enough of.

7 SICK SAD LITTLE WORLD: A CROW LEFT OF THE MURDER
For a band that has been known as a melodic, sorta romantically tinged rock band, they never get enough credit for their skills as musicians. The bass line in the first verse reminds me of the early funk of the chili Peppers, while yet again Brandon Boyd’s vocals soar with biting critiques of the surrounding grimness of the outside world. Performed live the song is even more upbeat and open to butt shaking. 

6 DIG: LIGHT GRENADES
Quite frankly, this is one of the most sincere, heartfelt songs I’ve ever heard from the California rockers. Everything about this track makes me grateful for the people in my life, as we all secretly go through things deep in ourselves. Finding a way to come to terms with your past, and your mistakes is a big part of adulthood, which the lyrics represent and display in a sobering way that still manages to impact the listener. Life is always going to be hard, but the biggest part of that life is continually finding a way to dig past the bad shit in search of your true, love filled self. Hopefully that last part isn’t too sappy for you guys. 

5 MEGALOMANIAC: A CROW LEFT OF THE MURDER
I remember getting this record and thinking there was no way they could perform the last record. I ended up thinking I was correct,  but I also remember thinking “Megalomaniac” was a perfect choice for an album opener and first single.  The static buzz beginning the song feels like impending doom, with Einzigers guitar ringing up the intensity as the upbeat explosive nature of the chorus blasts out of your speakers. Lyrically the song isn’t some revolution of Boyd’s talent, but everyone hearing this song can think of a person that reminds them of the ugly mentality tossed around throughout the track. 

4 THE WARMTH: MAKE YOURSELF
If only going with the flow and not letting the little stuff get you down was as easy to learn as this song is to listen to. Filled with warm moments, and a radiating energy that makes you imagine a life more calm, “The Warmth” envelopes you much like it’s namesake with gorgeous, layered keyboard and him guitar work, while Brandon’s voice shines above the mix, as the listener leans into a world where you’re loved and welcomed

3 JUST A PHASE: MORNING VIEW
Like a swinging breeze that lightly flows across your skin, “Just a Phase,” recorded for the “Morning View” sessions, lands at number 3. The track starts with some gorgeous layering by the rhythm section of Ben Kennedy and DJ Kilmore, and it genuinely is a gorgeous passage of music. That isn’t what ultimately sells the song though Boyd’s idiosyncratic lyrics work here because of the unnerving nature of a person slowly bubbling over with frustrations. By the time the song has its big splash, so to speak, you’ve already been on quite the ride. 

2 PARDON ME: MAKE YOURSELF
Some of you might have a hard time seeing this not in the first slot, but it is what it is. Regardless, “Pardon Me,” alternative rock anthem of a dying century, still holds up during this new century. The musicianship is simple but forward thinking, with the vocals soaring as Boyd beckons out the chorus. I always think this song was about the awaiting superstardom the band would face after this record ended up being a smash hit, but it will never not be the anthem that made them a household name. “Pardon Me,” is exactly the kind of song that changes a band's path, and in the case of Incubus, the rest is history. 

1 AQUEOUS TRANSMISSION
More than likely this is the most unlike Incubus Incubus track the band ever recorded, but it’s also the best. The Asian mood flows gorgeously through the opening minutes, and quietly, patiently, Brandon Boyd’s voice emerges. This is the best storytelling the band has ever done, and the world creating technique’s they employ here leave you wishing you could experience it for yourself. Certainly the main character is alone at the moment, but where exactly is the river taking him? One might assume he’s being led by the water to his beloved, and while you might be right, nature sometimes has its own course for us, so we can never be sure. While this album is likely my favorite, it’s this record closing song that brings it to a place it hadn’t yet reached in the previous twelve tracks. “Aqueous Transmission” remains Incubus’ most compelling, unique track, which is why it’s placed at number one on this list. I hope you’ve enjoyed this