• Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Jul 12, 2011
User Score
6.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 63 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 32 out of 63
  2. Negative: 11 out of 63
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  1. Sep 29, 2011
    5
    When I worked at a record store, way back in 2000, before the record industry imploded, the When Incubus Attacks Vol.1 Ep was released. And the talk among coworkers was how we thought Boyd and Co. should release an acoustic-geared album. And now that the angst finally died down, it'd have been perfect timing for something like this. And it's not that I'm against a mellow Incubus album,When I worked at a record store, way back in 2000, before the record industry imploded, the When Incubus Attacks Vol.1 Ep was released. And the talk among coworkers was how we thought Boyd and Co. should release an acoustic-geared album. And now that the angst finally died down, it'd have been perfect timing for something like this. And it's not that I'm against a mellow Incubus album, because they've had wonderful transcendental tracks on previous albums, but something as flat and contemporary as If Not Now, When?, well, I guess the title answers the question. I just wished they'd have gone organic to this wavy new age crooner. And there ARE a couple of sweet spots on here, 'Wolves, Promises...I just didn't want an album full of that. I'm not mad, 'bands aloud to have artistic integrity, just isn't my bag. Expand
  2. Jul 12, 2011
    5
    This album is bland from start two finsh it is not like make yourself or science, but rather it is a watered down effort. there are only 2 standout tracks on the whole album. the rest seem to sound like old recycled tunes of previous bands lyrics. this album is sure to disappoint true fans who like their alt metal versatile guitar bass and drum arrangements.It is hard to gauge a review ofThis album is bland from start two finsh it is not like make yourself or science, but rather it is a watered down effort. there are only 2 standout tracks on the whole album. the rest seem to sound like old recycled tunes of previous bands lyrics. this album is sure to disappoint true fans who like their alt metal versatile guitar bass and drum arrangements.It is hard to gauge a review of this album as its not a 1 or its not a 10. Its a bland 5. it lacks a true sense of feelings as displayed by the power laced energy of science and the sonically diverse morning view that has a nice atmosphere of with heavy guitars and acoustic guitars. Don't get me wrong I am an Incubus fan and I guess I was just expecting more diverseness and atmospheric experimentalism incorporated into heavy and soft songs. Not just mainly soft songs. Overall, the album lacks the creative energy and sonic diverseness of previuous effots even though they did say this album was a departure. It may have been a departure in the wrong direction. Expand
  3. Aug 10, 2011
    5
    After completing my first listen of "Morning View" back in my mid-college days my first impression was that Incubus was both expanding beyond their initial category as well as lightening up a little. Although in that first listen I immediately liked/loved a few songs (Nice To Know You, Are You In?), eventually I grew to simply love the entire album. Stepping back to one of thoseAfter completing my first listen of "Morning View" back in my mid-college days my first impression was that Incubus was both expanding beyond their initial category as well as lightening up a little. Although in that first listen I immediately liked/loved a few songs (Nice To Know You, Are You In?), eventually I grew to simply love the entire album. Stepping back to one of those impressions 'lightening up a little', I had to re-think about why I liked this band, because it was obvious that they were not going to sit still in the years to come.

    Moving forward to their recent release "If Not Now, When?" I again had to re-think why I liked this band. After 10+ years of loving their music could I really decide that this was their worst? That this time the album wouldn't grow from an initial 'meh' to 'Absolutely Loving it'? I think it is, and unlike some reviewers that want to write off the band as lost or past their prime, I am ok with "If Not Now, When?". I'm ok an 11 song LP that has no true stand outs, and I'm ok waiting another few years for their next attempt. But then again, this album is simply that: just ok.

    It isn't terrible, but it definitely isn't great and barring another ten or twenty more playthroughs I don't expect that impression to change. There are guitar parts that are immediately recognizable Einziger/Incubus style, but the funny thing that struck me this go around was the new instruments that were spread throughout the tracks. Unlike the marxophone that introduces "Anna Molly", on "Promises, Promises" it is simply a piano, and I think that characterizes many of the other tracks. Simple. Simple isn't bad, it's just simple, and it does have it's moments such as on "Defiance" where the acoustic guitar is the only accompaniment to Boyd's falsetto and melodic vocals. But this sort of track used to be the interlude between sides A & B on previous albums (i.e. Earth to Bella 1/2) and is now the climax if you had to state that there is one.

    Let Incubus be, if anything they've got this out of their system or at least allowed themselves the pleasure of exploring the idea of easy-does-it. Because regardless of the result doing something is not as easy as doing nothing.
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  4. Feb 21, 2012
    6
    Well, I would have to place, Make Yourself, Morning View & A Crow Left of the Murder above this album. But, I do think "If not now, when" is better than "Light Grenades". It's a different sounding album then most of the Incubus catalog, but after a few listens it grows on u. I would say a solid 6
  5. Oct 31, 2011
    6
    Their politics are bad; simply bad. But when it comes to the human condition they do very well. I have to stretch this out to be an acceptable criticism... as if the above isn't enough and people actually read these.
  6. Sep 5, 2011
    4
    The new album from rockers Incubus is a disappointment from start to finish. It's sound takes another root form what the band had in their previous albums, for example with the Train-esque "Promises, Promises" and try to acquire their old sound with "Adolescents". These tracks shows that the new album is nothing but a watered-down effort from the band to attract a new audience.
  7. Sep 17, 2013
    4
    I absolutely adore Incubus, but I was terribly disappointed by this effort. The album features a couple of gems, namely "Isadore" and "In the Company of Wolves," but they are nowhere near enough to salvage this overall bland album. I understand that artists change and evolve, but that usually (hopefully) involves a retainment of quality. I hate myself for saying this, but oh how I long forI absolutely adore Incubus, but I was terribly disappointed by this effort. The album features a couple of gems, namely "Isadore" and "In the Company of Wolves," but they are nowhere near enough to salvage this overall bland album. I understand that artists change and evolve, but that usually (hopefully) involves a retainment of quality. I hate myself for saying this, but oh how I long for the days of Make Yourself and Morning View. Expand
Metascore
48

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 15
  2. Negative: 4 out of 15
  1. Dec 6, 2011
    70
    The end result is an album on a shaded, comfortable grayscale, music that's suitably mature yet sidesteps stultifying notions of middlebrow class.
  2. Kerrang!
    Jul 29, 2011
    20
    If Not Now, When? is the work of a group who in their attempts to sound all grown-up come across as being worn-down and played out. [16 Jul 2011, p.50]
  3. Jul 28, 2011
    40
    They're no longer teetering on the edge anymore; with this record, Boyd and Co. just fell hard.