Music Details
Artist
Label
Genre
More details

A Crow Left of the Murder (by Incubus, Alternative Rock)

common sense media says

Excellent playing, singing, and songwriting.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Incubus' fifth album doesn't disappoint. Teens will identify with the self-indulgent lyrics, and they'll also appreciate the loud, energetic music. Other than a few F-words, the language is mostly clean.

Positive messages: There's a refreshing anti-mass media message.
Violence: The message is non-violent, if anything.
Sex: Nothing explicit; even the innuendo is comparatively tame.
Language: The "F" word appears a few times.
Consumerism: The CD unlocks access to exclusive internet ticket pre-sales.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: There are a few smoking and drinking references.

More on A Crow Left of the Murder

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the anti-establishment, anti-mass-media messages.

What's the story?

What's the story?
The guys in Incubus seem to love playing with their special-effects toys. A CROW LEFT OF THE MURDER offers acrobatic guitar riffs, a frenetic rhythm section, and the kind of poetic and self-indulgent lyrics that only a self-absorbed teenager could love. "You're no Jesus -- You're no Elvis -- You're no answer" from "Megalomaniac" is an example. There's also a not-so-subtle anti-establishment and anti-mass-media message that's kind of refreshing, and some drop-dead vocal performances. This album ends up being somehow greater than the sum of its parts. It's catchy enough to get under your skin, and exciting enough to be fun.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 
The album is an impressive, energetic departure from the band's earlier funk-rock sound, a return to their rock roots. There seems to be a lot of discussion on fan newsgroups about whether or not this is a good thing, but the end result is an excellent collection of passionate and well-played songs, led by the band's talented lead singer, Brandon Boyd. You (and your teens) could do a whole lot worse.

Music themes & details

Music Details
Released on: February 3, 2004
Label: Sony Music
Genre: Alternative Rock

This review was written by Kathi Kamen Goldmark
 
 

Review It

 

Review A Crow Left of the Murder





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

What parents & educators say

13

Most useful reviews by all members

wookiepie93
teen, 18 years old
 
really good
A great album and a great band. Where's Light Grenades?

 
Very good
This is a great album, and was my favorite by Incubus until their new one came out, 'Light Grenades'. Don't know why it's not on here yet...

breann1
teen, 18 years old
 
Great
i think this album is great yes some lyrics are "inappropreit" but otherwise great bad great album i think its perfect like their other alubums =)

 
Awesome!
Great CD, although not as good as previous efforts, such as Make Yourself, S.C.I.E.N.C.E., or Morning View. A few f-words in one song and one song about sex, but it's pretty tame and not very obvious,

 
Incubus lost me a long time ago....
Incubus hasn't produced an astounding album since "Make Yourself." Their music is getting pretty dull. Overall disappointing like their last release. Well, they say once you go on MTV once, your standards drop. There are only a few bands who stay good after becoming mainstream.

 
Incubus Goes Bananas
This album is a bit more raw and live sounding than Incubus' past two albums. A few recording errors are even left in. The album includes some interesting guitar noodling and instrumental parts.Brandon Boyd sings in his unique manner, and his vocals seem to have expanded, even more than before, to different styles of singing (falsettos, singing to the beat of a song, creepy whipers, etc.)Also on board this time around in new bassist Ben Kenny (spelling?), formerly of The Roots, a hip hop band. Not only does his presence change the bands rhythm, but he also adds some lovely backup vocals, as does guitarist Mike Einziger. Einziger really gets his change to show off his guitar work though on "Sick Sad Little World" during an intrumental section of the song that lasts about two minutes as well as on various other tracks. The carnival-like music of "Zee Deveel" and the soft sounds of "Southern Girl" are further examples of the bands versitality as a whole. Jose Pasillas III, Incubus' drummer, sounds a rawer, unproduced, and natural, which surprised me, especially on the quick, choppy "Priceless." Barely-there DJ Kilmore adds to the atmosphere of the songs as he includes subtle sounds that occaisionally come to the forefront. A perfect example of this can be found on the album's first single "Megalomaniac." My only complaint is that longtime fans will recognize Incubus playing music similar to some of their older songs on a few tracks. It must be hard to keep coming up with new sounds, but it was annoying to me.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you add A Crow Left of the Murder to your playlist?


Already listened to it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age