Maybe you really dig their powerful, sleazy style on “Blood Sugar Sex Magik.” Or perhaps you’re drawn towards their spiritual side on “Californication.” Regardless, Red Hot Chili Peppers are hands down one of the most important bands of the past 30 years.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have revolutionized modern music with their merging of funk aggression, rock aesthetic and pop sensibilities.
Sadly, it seems that with their latest effort, our beloved Chili Peppers have lost their edge and the result is an unfocused album of 14 songs tacked together; each one lacking any real personality or that trademark Chili Pepper “oomph.”
With their 10th album — and first album in over a decade without guitar virtuoso, John Frusciante — these grizzled, old men seem to have nothing new to say.
Frusciante’s departure is evident almost immediately with the loud cacophony of distorted guitar feedback on the album opener “Monarchy of Roses,” something that seems more akin to the Dave Navarro-helmed “One Hot Minute.” This mass confusion also sets the theme for the rest of the album as the Peppers jump from one style to the next without ever really finding their footing.
Frusciante’s humble replacement is 31-year-old newcomer, Josh Klinghoffer. Klinghoffer’s approach to guitar is one that is more rooted in textural playing rather than chops, and this change in dynamic gives this album more of a progressive flair.
Songs such as “Dance, Dance, Dance” and “Factory of Faith” are radio-friendly hits that the Peppers wouldn’t have tried a decade ago. This air of experimentalism allows for their sound to grow as a whole, but, at times, the songs seem more like “Stadium Arcadium” outtakes rather than fresh tracks from a band reborn.
Therein lies the biggest problem with this album: It feels recycled.
It’s hard to find a consistently good song in the sense that certain tracks will have a chorus that recalls the Peppers in their power-funk heyday or a verse that really speaks to the listener, but there isn’t a single song that has both of those fundamental qualities.
It isn’t all bad news. There are times where the new lineup does truly shine and those moments are some of the best of their career. “Brendan’s Death Song” is a real tearjerker that seems like the swan song for a band that has accomplished so much, against all odds. The lines “Live and die before I get it done, will you decide/ I’ll take my words and turn them into sounds, it will survive” could easily sum upthe entire legacy of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“Police Station” is another fantastic song that could easily be another one of the best on this album. Its mix of a beautiful melody with bittersweet lyrics sets it apart from the other raunchy songs on “I’m With You” and really pulls the listener into its story. Despite all this, the album as a whole just doesn’t gel together and feels cheap when stacked up next to their past efforts. It’s hard to come to terms with it, but the Peppers gave up much more than just a guitarist when Frusciante left; they lost their trademark sound.
An average score for an average album. A disappointing review for a disappointing album. Let’s hope that this is only a transition and the Peppers haven’t gone mild for good; otherwise it seems like it’s time to throw in the towel, boys.
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