The Red Hot Chili Peppers have finally released their 10th album “I’m With You,” after five low-key years since their last album, “Stadium Arcadium.”
RHCP appear to have slightly returned to the style they generated when Dave Navarro was in charge of the guitar, due to the fact that in 2009 their longtime axe-man John Frusciante left the band for good.
Many longtime Chili Peppers fans were worried that with Frusciante leaving the band, their unique sounds would be lost forever. However, “I’m With You” proves that new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer fills the Frusciante void just fine, but still contributes his own stylized funk punk rhythms.
These new sounds bring RHCP back to the days of fret-bursting beats that develop into cheery pop choruses sung by Anthony Kiedis, who has fronted the Red Hot Chili Peppers since the formation of the band in 1983.
Michael Balzary, better known as Flea, and Kiedis are the two members who have remained consistent within RHCP throughout the years, except for the brief moments when Kiedis was asked to leave the band to undergo drug rehabilitation.
When the time came to choose a name for the album, the band was striking out on ideas. Down to the wire on deadline for the album name, newbie Klinghoffer wrote the words “I’m With You” on a piece of paper and showed it to Kiedis who immediately knew that this would be the title for their new release.
“I’m With You” is a very open and inviting statement, which is what the band wants to channel to their fan base. This is Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first album since 1989’s “Mother’s Milk” to not have a song that correlates with the album name.
Released by Warner Bros. Records on Aug. 30, this 14-song LP kicks off with the song “Monarchy of Roses,” which is reminiscent of their song “Warped” from the 1995 album “One Hot Minute.”
Third on the tracklist is a touching song titled “Brendan’s Death Song,” in which the Peppers sing about the passing of their longtime friend Brendan Mullen, supporter and in-progress author of their book, “The Oral and Visual History of The Red Hot Chili Peppers.” Mullen was the man who booked one of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first shows in 1983. The song is not meant to be dark or depressing, but rather a beautiful memoir for a long lost friend of the band. The track is a mix between an acoustic elegy and the essence of Nirvana.
The fourth song on the album, “Ethiopia,” is a prime example of the Peppers’ pulling beats and rhythms from traditional East African music. Following a more intimate song, this track is a bit more pop- and “Californication”-sounding, which will be a definite crowd pleaser. Chad Smith’s percussion beats make this song a “head-bobbing, driving with your windows down” kind of track.
One of the best songs on the album is “Look Around.” Flea’s bass beats and Kiedis’ rock-rap is more funky and party-esque on this track, and the lyrics offer something more for those willing to listen.
“Did I Let You Know” is heavily influenced by a Latin sound, complete with a horn section. On this track, Kiedis raps some sassy phrases to the funky beats.
“Police Station” is reminiscent of a soft and personal Jimi Hendrix-style ballad where a previous long lost lover is followed through the Hollywood ringer. The song was inspired by real-life experiences of the Peppers’ own frontman, Kiedis.
The final track on the LP is “Dance, Dance, Dance.” It’s a catchy tune and concludes the album on an especially upbeat note.
“I’m With You” may not be what fans would describe as typical Red Hot Chili Peppers, but it embodies all the essence of what fans love about Red Hot Chili Peppers music.
