Now in their 20th year together, California rock band Incubus is slowing down. In the five years since the group released Light Grenades, Incubus took a break from touring, made a greatest hits compilation and retreated from the limelight. Now, their new album, If Not Now, When?, decidedly places Incubus in the category of aging musicians.

On this, their seventh studio album, Incubus teamed up once again with producer Brendan O'Brien, who the group worked with on three previous albums. If Not Now, When? shows the band shedding the experimental elements of their early work, playing in the vein of Morning View but with less emotion. The band sounds tired, like they're finished with making music, and as a result they've produced some of the mellowest music of their career.

While some fans will enjoy the acoustic-driven songs, I missed the heaviness of Fungus Amongus and the attitude of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Incubus has drained their music of the creativity that kept them from being just another Pixies-worship band. Of the eleven songs on the standard edition of If Not Now, When?, "Friends and Lovers," was the only one stood out to me, which is notable for its varied and complex instrumentation.

Easy-listening is a broad musical category, but it accurately describes Incubus's current sound. They've traded in their innovation for easy-to-write music that doesn't entertain. Incubus has picked a new career path, and it ends in obscurity.

Vaughn Fortier-Shultz is a junior at Santa Fe High School. You can reach him at moosemanxl@gmail.com.