New Red Hot Chili Peppers: Don’t Call it a Comeback!

By Zach Wahlder, 11^th Grade

It’s been five years since the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers last album, Stadium Arcadium, and now they are back with the release of their tenth studio album, I’m With You. It’s worth the wait.

I’m With You is also the band’s first album in over a decade without lead guitarist, John Frusciante, who departed the band for the second time in 2009. When Frusciante left the band indefinitely, it was unclear whether or not RHCP would continue as a band. Fans feared that the band wouldn’t continue without Frusciante. It easily could have been the end. However, before John Frusciante officially announced his departure publicly, young 31-year-old guitarist Josh Klinghoffer was already with the band writing songs for the new album. With Frusciante’s departure, the bandmates said that Klinghoffer was really the first and only choice to fill the void. No stranger to the band, Josh had been a backup guitarist during RHCP’s Stadium Arcadium tour, but was never officially a member of the band until 2009. Although he’s no Frusciante, Klinghoffer, a calm and quiet person, offers the band a fresh sound on their new album.

Produced by Rick Rubin, I’m With You, contains fourteen songs, and is just as diverse as any previous RHCP album and actually covers more territory than previous albums. From the disco-drenched and upbeat funky album opener “Monarchy of Roses” to the sympathetic and gentle ballad “Brendan’s Death Song”, (which may be the best song of the entire album), to the afro-funk inspired “Ehtiopia”, I’m With You has it all. The seasoned band still retains the funk in songs such as “Factory of Faith” and “Goodbye Hooray” while also continuing their beloved melodic songwriting in tracks like “Police Station” and the aforementioned “Brendan’s Death Song”.  Then, of course, there are the new initially-unrecognizable sounds, which you will have to find out and interpret for yourself.

 Anthony Kiedis’s visceral vocals and lyrics combined with the freshness offered by Klinghoffer makes I’m With You one of the RHCP best albums to date. It offers a bit of everything for the dedicated RHCP fan and yet introduces something new and invigorating that will leave you wanting more. I’m With You is certainly a jumpstart to their new bright future. But whatever you say, just don’t call it a comeback. Even though the band has been absent from the spotlight for five years, they never had plans of calling it quits. I’m With You has been in the works for the past several years, and it proves that RHCP continue to grow personally and artistically and that they’re one of the most creative and influential bands of their generation. And even after nearly 30 years in the business, these L.A. funk-rockers aren’t even close to being done.

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Posted by Bulletin on Sep 23 2011. Filed under Arts & Entertainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry