Make Yourself was a musical revelation for me the first time I heard it. It was one of the first albums I can remember playing on repeat on my trusty blue Sony Walkman CD player. This album legitimately went everywhere with me in the early 2000’s– baseball practice, family road trips, walks to a friend’s house down the street. There was a simple joy in the physical relationship I had with this album that’s impossible to recreate in the modern age, the rush of endorphins that would hit when I took it out of my CD case knowing the sonic bliss I was about to experience.
Incubus is a band that has meant a lot to me and a lot of people who are close to me throughout my life. I’ve seen them live a few times and they had a pretty sterling run of albums in the mid-2000’s, but to me Make Yourself is their magnum opus and it’s not really very close. This is the album that not only catapulted Incubus into superstardom but also introduced to the world a band capable of balancing experimental brilliance with mainstream appeal.
The backbone of the album lies in its rhythm section: DJ Kilmore’s dynamic turntable scratches, Dirk Lance’s fluid bass lines, and Jose Pasillas’ impeccable timing on the drums created a groove-centric foundation that oozes in every song. This layered rhythm section not only added texture but also gave each song a living and breathing pulse. To say Incubus has a damn good rhythm section would be a disservice to that trio– this is the canvas on which lead guitarist Mike Einziger and lead singer Brandon Boyd are blessed to paint on. Without the rhythm section, Incubus is just another alternative rock band.
Which isn’t to say Einziger or Boyd are run-of-the-mill throwaways– they’re the stars of the show at the end of the day, and for very good reason. Einziger’s guitar playing has always been nothing short of cinematic, a master of tension and release that makes every riff feel like an emotional journey. His use of effect pedals, experimental tones, and just flat out weird scales create a soundscape that is massively expansive. Meanwhile, Brandon Boyd’s vocals remain unparalleled in their ability to scale soaring highs and plunge into clean, resonant lows. The dude is equal parts power and precision, trademarks that have made him one of alternative rock’s most versatile and memorable frontmen for the past 25 years. Boyd’s ability to traverse an impeccably wide range makes me feel the same way I do when I listen to Chris Cornell sing– blessed to be here, pissed I’ll never come close in my own vocal talents.
Boyd’s lyrics are also a masterclass in introspection. Make Yourself is a very-90’s esque offering in that there is a purpose to each word. He isn’t afraid of saying something that you can take with you after a listen, offering a roadmap of resiliency and self-realization in nearly every song (again, goddamn do I love the 90’s). One of my favorite lines in alternative rock comes from the title track “Make Yourself” where Boyd dishes a seriously tasty bar:
If you let em make, they’ll make you paper mache
At a distance you’re strong until the wind comes, then you crumble and blow away
If you let em’ fuck you there will be no foreplay
Rest assured they’ll screw you complete until your ass is blue and gray
That theme of taking control of one’s identity in the face of life’s chaos is as relevant now as it was when I was 12 years old. Throughout the album Boyd urges you to question conformity and embrace growth. It’s both a personal mantra he believes in as well as a universal call to action that doesn’t feel self-aggrandizing in a way many artists can when delivering a similar sentiment.
That is what makes Make Yourself such a timeless record– life lessons wrapped up in a genre-bending sonic experience, delivered with piss and vinegar alongside a big heaping helping of sentimentality like “Drive” or “I Miss You”. The boys ran the emotional gamut on this album and delivered a masterpiece that has stood the test of time.
Standout Songs: “Privilege”, “Consequence”, “The Warmth”, “Stellar”, “Make Yourself”, “Drive”, “I Miss You”, “Pardon Me”
