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The Red Hot Chili Peppers sound a little lost in the beginning of the first album they’ve produced in more than five years. A disarray of chords and a cacophonic drum beat sound like a cry for a sense of direction, one that was abandoned when guitarist John Frusciante left the band for the second time. On their tenth studio album, “I’m With You,” with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, the chili peppers set out to prove how determined they are to play music.
Fortunately for the album, bassist Flea restores that direction as he lays down a bass line on the opening track “Monarchy of Roses” that would rival any line playing in late 1970s discos. His instrumentation is what keeps this album together, because he plays his bass like a lead instrument. Pick up any acclaimed rock album and the bass is most likely an afterthought. “I’m With You” is an exception, where the bass is more important to the album’s structure than in any trunk-rattling hip-hop albums.
The last time Frusciante quit the band, the group’s ensuing album “One Hot Minute” with guitarist Dave Navarro shifted the band’s sound from energetic funk-punk rock into a confusing melancholy psychedelia that was embraced with lukewarm arms. When it came to creating new music this time around, they may have picked Klinghoffer because he wouldn’t agitate the group’s sound.
For example, the lead single “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” could have been placed on any of the band’s three previous albums and it would have meshed nicely. While this track is one of the album’s better efforts — partly due to drummer Chad Smith playing the most rocking cowbell since Will Ferrell’s rendition in a Blue Oyster Cult SNL sketch — the song isn’t much different for the new look Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Klinghoffer isn’t utilized enough on this album. He doesn’t make much of an impact and seems too timid to become a creative force. He sounds like the back up guitarist he was when he was playing on the last leg of the “Stadium Arcadium” tour in 2007.
The latter half of the album is softer and more melodic than their 2002 effort “By the Way,” but not in a satisfying way. The songs become so airy and relaxed that it’s easy to forget the album is playing. Even when Klinghoffer starts playing piano that you would likely hear in a 19th century saloon on “Happiness Loves Company,” vocalist Anthony Kiedis’ shouts unwelcomingly: “Start jumping because we got something to say” to the point where the interest of what he has to say dwindles. Toward the end, “I’m With You” sounds like it has more filler than it’s double album predecessor “Stadium Arcadium.”
The album is more rewarding when Klinghoffer contributes more to the production. The euphoric “Ethiopia,” inspired by a trip Kinghoffer and Flea took together to the country, is proof that the two can have an undeniable chemistry. The song is more candid and mature as Kiedis serenades his 3-year-old son instead of singing about his twisted past of drugs and alcohol.
“Brendan’s Death Song” is another strong contribution by Klinghoffer which takes an interesting approach morphing from a rare Pepper’s acoustic folk song into a stadium-sized hard rock anthem. The song is a tribute to Brendan Mullen who was the founder of a Los Angeles punk rock club called The Masque, and gave the band their start. While it is a nice ode to someone important to the band, it is more interesting when Kiedis starts to become more introspective about himself and the direction of his band.
“Like I said, you know I’m almost dead / You know I’m almost gone. / And when the drummer drums, he’s gonna play my song / to carry me along. / And when the boatman comes to ferry me away, to where we all belong.”
For a group that has been playing since the beginning of the Reagan administration, it’s hard to imagine the end of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. “I’m With You” is more of a statement of the band’s ability to keep making music. Hopefully the new chemistry will only further develop on forthcoming albums.
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Ben Macaluso at Ben.macaluso@colorado.edu.
