Anticipation laced with apprehension. That was how I felt in the months leading up to Red Hot Chili Peppers' newest release, I'm With You. Why? For starters, the band hadn't released a studio album since 2006. Secondly, I wasn't a huge fan of the last album. Lots of great material, but also a lot of so-so stuff. To be fair though, these guys could jam in a room, hit record, and the result would be better than most bands' opus album. Now, the single most important reason for apprehension was the departure of RHCP guitarist John Frusciante in 2009. Frusciante had joined the band just before Mother's Milk was recorded, but it wasn't until the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik that his influence in the band's sound could be fully felt. And it changed everything. RHCP became a household name, while occupying a genre all their own. They were funky, bluesy, poppy, jazzy and rockin' all at the same time. While I had heard of the Chili Peppers prior to Blood Sugar Sex Magik, I didn't pay attention until after. Something about Frusciante's playing style hooked me immediately. It's a really loose style that sits perfectly into the mix between Chad Smith's flawless drum line, Flea's funky bass grooves, and Anthony Keidis's rap-slapped singing. It is a guitar-feel that I felt the Chili Peppers might never be able to fill again.
My opinion wasn't unfounded, as this wasn't Frusciante's first departure from the band. Back in 1994, he left just as the band was reaching its peak, uncomfortable with the newfound fans and success. His replacement? The more-than-capable Dave Navarro of Jane's Addiction fame. Initally optimistic of that lineup, the album felt like an experiment more than an album. I love Navarro's playing. I love the Red Hot Chili Peppers. I did not love the combination of the two. Again, to be fair, there are plenty of great songs on the albums, many in fact, but it doesn't feel like a Chili Peppers album to me. The funk got a little lost along the way. In its place, there's a harder edge and aggression, which rises and falls like an addict finding his next fix. The reality of the recording process of One Hot Minute wasn't far off. Keidis was apparently fighting some pretty ferocious demons, and their damage was darkening everything and not discussed by anyone. The result is a manic mashup of styles, genres, and themes.
So, now you have a little background to better understand my aforementioned apprehension. But when the album dropped, all reservations were washed away. I'm With You is the Red Hot Chili Peppers album I've been waiting for since Blood Sugar Sex Magik. I don't know if Josh Klinghoffer's addition to the band enticed them to branch out or become better musicians, but there is no doubt in my mind that he makes the whole band sound better. Everyone has their mark on the music, but without marking it up with personal asides and solo opportunities. Every sound in the mix serves the song, which gives the whole album a sense of stripped-down directness in its delivery. So, in keeping with that ideology, allow me to be so bold if you will: You need to get this album now! Next album? No apprehension here.
Highlights: "Brendan's Death Song" and "Happiness Loves Company"
