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Entertainment

Red Hot Chili Peppers Play To A New Beat

Something I loved about the Red Hot Chili Peppers is how they introduced the alternative/ funk music genre during the 1990s. That genre was something that stood out.

When they released their fifth studio album, Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik, songs like “Give it Away” and “Suck My Kiss” had a funk and jam groove element that were unique to them.

Following Stadium Arcadium in 2006, the band went into a five year hiatus where guitarist John Frusciante announced his permanent departure from the band in December 2009.

 I became nervous once Anthony Kiedis announced the new guitarist was Josh Kling Hoffer since Klinghoffer had big shoes to fill.

Regardless, once I heard the Chili Peppers were releasing their new album, I’m With You, in August, I was ecstatic.

However, the album was not what I expected when I first heard the songs. To me, every song in the album was not what the Chili Peppers were like earlier in their career. There are elements of funk in their songs, but there is an overabundance of experimental rock.

Now I’m not a hater for the experimental genre, however, I think the Chili Peppers aren’t the right band for that specific type of music.

For individual musicianship, I was not disappointed at all. Kiedis’ voice still sounds as pure and clear as in his earlier albums. As a bassist, Flea is still one of the most notable musicians ever to live.

Meanwhile, drummer Chad Smith never missed a beat throughout the album. Smith and Flea still have that lockin groove they have always presented.

The album included 14 songs such as the album’s first single, “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie,” which was released to radio midJuly, three days earlier than its actual release due to a leak. Of course, the first thing that I did was order it on iTunes.

“The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” is one of my favorite songs in the album for a few reasons.

The introduction with Flea and Smith offered a nice beat, and I was also pleased with Klinghoffer’s guitar riffs in the chorus plus his short solo during the bridge. While Klinghoffer is no Frusciante, he is a solid guitar player.

One song that gave me good vibes was “Look Around.” It kicks off with a nice jam/pop feel that I really enjoyed listening to.

The chorus brings the song around and it is really easy to sing along to yet my favorite part was during the breakdown of the song.

It was during this number that I heard some parts of the band’s earlier song, “By The Way.” This brought back some nostalgia for me, which made me love this song even more.

“Police Station” was another single from I’m With You I really liked. While it was one of the mellower songs, “Police Station” helped me completely zone out and really listen to the meaning of Kiedis’ lyrics. A piano part was composed by Flea, which was a nice touch to the song. Simply, these four musicians really managed to make this song into something that I can cherish forever.

I’m With You is an album that clearly shows the Red Hot Chili Peppers are starting to drift away from their usual funk/jam music.

Now, even though I am not used to this, I do appreciate the hard work the band has put in creating the album.

Regarding Klinghoffer, he definitely has talent and I do not think that he will hinder the band at all. Change can either be a good thing or a complete failure for bands.

My gut feeling tells me that this change will continue to prosper for the band.