Artist:Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album:I'm With You
Release Date:Aug. 29
Label: Warner Bros.
Grade:A-
After the band's two-year hiatus, Anthony Kiedis and crew are ready to stir up the alt-rock pot and bring the incredible sounds of Josh Klinghoffer's stunning guitar work and iconic bass-funk that will surely please audiences the world over.
Although John Frusciante stepped out in the last days of the Stadium Arcadium tour, Klinghoffer has filled the gaping void, and brought along with him a sound entirely unlike any RHCP CD before.
The opening track onI'm With You, "Monarchy of Roses," preps fans for the uniquely different sounds of the album. Heavy distortion cements a marked difference between classic RHCP and the rest of this multifaceted compilation.
Catchy and lyrically entrancing, "Factory of Faith" delivers quality bass riffs along with Kiedis' killer vocals to create an intriguing mix of old and new RHCP, reminiscent of Stadium Arcadium.
"Brendan's Death Song," a heartfelt acoustic ballad, covers the death of long-time friend and initial supporter Brendan Mullen. Incorporating a harder rock tonality in its closing minutes, the track bleeds directly from a hurting Anthony Kiedis, and its emotional impact is deeply felt.
The album's midsection does well to remember the band's peak of Californication as both "Ethiopia" and "Look Around" bring the same heavy bass and vocal tracks the band was known for, syncing up in perfect form.
Klinghoffer, long-time friend of Frusciante, enters the fray without missing a beat, even progressing the band's sound by adding keyboard and vocals to many of the album's more appealing songs.
The album's first single, "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie," prominently features overtly sexualized lyrics and probably the best use of cowbell since Blue Oyster Cult's stint with the reaper.
Other highlights include "Did I Let You Know," "Even You, Brutus" and the mellow groove, "Meet Me at the Corner" each of which contribute their own diverse sounds to an already alien production.
Fans expecting to come into a classic culmination of Kiedis, Flea and Frusciante magic will be taken by surprise by the twists and turns of RHCP's latest melodic concoction.
E-mail:arts@ubspectrum.com
