It isn’t always a smart move when a lead vocalist of a top-notch rock band decides to push his luck by creating a second solo album.
With not much music news from Incubus, Brandon Boyd has taken the initiative once again to create his sophomore solo album “Sons of the Sea Compass” by releasing an EP with four tracks before revealing the entire album.
After Boyd’s debut album, “The Wild Trapeze,” it was a pleasant surprise to hear that Boyd has more talents than simply singing and occasionally playing the djembe. In “The Wild Trapeze,” Boyd played all instruments ranging from bass guitar to a tambourine.
His first release also allowed the vocalist to explore a different musical style and create a 10-song album with rock songs that relied heavily on the raw, stripped down sound of fuzzy distortion instead of perfecting it with overproduction.
The “Songs of the Sea Compass” EP kicks off with “Space & Time,” a ditty with an off-beat piano melody accompanied with funky space-like sounds.
From the start, Boyd’s second release is radically different from what he usually creates. Lyrically, Boyd uses a shipwreck as a metaphor for wavering love, which is an apparent theme throughout the EP.
“Come Together,” an upbeat and poppy track, is brought down by its lyrically flat lines like “How in the world did you get to be so fine?/’Til we both are painted by morning light/Whoever made you must’ve had a talent for high design.”
Besides Boyd’s vocals, “Come Together” sounds like something Maroon 5 would produce. The track is ridiculously cheesy and has all the components of a stereotypical pop track with synthesizers, a “na, na, na, na” chorus and lyrics glorifying a woman’s looks.
Midway through the EP, it isn’t surprising to hear yet another experimental track, “Where All the Songs Come From.” At this point, the music created by Boyd becomes repetitive and fails to create lyrically enthralling tracks.
Boyd continues to sing about love but does it in a simple manner that doesn’t seem up to par with his abilities after creating hit singles like “Stellar” and “Drive” with Incubus.
The EP’s final track, “Lady Black,” features producer Brendan O’Brien who has previously worked with Incubus and other musicians like Bruce Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine.
O’Brien’s contribution to “Lady Black” significantly saved the direction of Boyd’s EP. While it isn’t a full-flledged rock tune, it doesn’t completely fall under a pop song category and instead creates a soft, melodic beat complimenting Boyd’s crooning.
Despite this last-minute recovery, though, all of Boyd’s tracks sound overproduced, relying heavily on layering chorused vocals and backing beats and keys. It’s disappointing to hear the pop genre dominating the EP, but “Lady Black” gives a glimmer of hope for the full album.
The album release date is yet to be announced. For more information on the album, visit www.brandonboyd.me.