[NEW RELEASES] Incubus

It seems that most people have heard of Incubus, but when pushed, have considerable difficulty recalling any of their songs.

Hence the need for a mid-career compilation album.

It’s now been 10 years since the California-based rockers rose to prominence with “Pardon Me,” one of those schizophrenic rock songs of the time that mixed riffs, raps and random turntable scratching to reach a new generation that was unsure of rock’s relevance.

But as memorable as “pardon me while I burst into flames” was, Incubus never fully combusted into super-stardom, opting for the safer confines of middle-of-the-road rock instead of Linkin Park-Limp Bizkit territory.

The two-disc “Monuments and Melodies” details this first decade of safe, radio-friendly rock. “Are You In?,” “Wish You Were Here” and “Drive” are instantly recognizable and enjoyable a second time around for casual listeners, while a couple of new tracks - “Black Heart Inertia” and “Midnight Swim” - might entice those Incubus fans who can actually name one song out of the woodwork. By Cam Graham

Incubus

“Monuments & Melodies”

Label: Sony

Genre: Alternative rock