I’m With You is the latest instalment from the Grammy award winning, funkadelic rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The Chili’s last 28 track, chart topping album Stadium Arcadium was released five and a half years ago and went on to sell around eight million copies globally so it’d be pretty mean feat if they reach those heights again with this album.
I’m With You is the first album since One Hot Minute to not have key member John Fursciante cranking the guitar as he has, again, left the band and gone on to pursue other ventures. I know a few of you out there will be thinking that without John Frusciante the band is not going to be anywhere near as good…allow me to persuade you otherwise.
I’m With You deals with some pretty interesting themes; mostly mortality, and has some funny rapping lines courtesy of front man Anthony Keidis; “Hustle me bitch and you’d best beware/Don’t try and tap your round peg into my square”. I am listening to the album as I write this and every now and again I hear the occasional lyric like that of the above mentioned, which shows that they have retained their humour.
It’s easy to see that new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer feels quite at home with the band’s musical direction, having started off as the band’s live guitarist and musical collaborator with John Fusiciante on his solo work.
One of the major differences on this album though is that you don’t get the distinct falsetto that was provided by Frusciante. Klinghoffer may be a good guitarist but he lacks the I-just-got-kicked-in-the-crotch-by-a-goat voice that harmonized so well with Keidis’ on the bands other albums.
There have been mixed reactions to I’m With You with some people thinking this album would be the band’s swan song, especially has both Flea and Chad Smith have other bands of their own that they are involved in. However, with European tour looming, their 10th studio album seems to have proved the opposite of this. I’m With You is also a nice breath of fresh air in amongst all the auto-tuned, drum-machined glitter puke that has been cramming the CD shelves. You can hear the musicianship through their playing of real instruments. At some points in the album, you can even hear Flea make silly quips at the start or end of some songs. You have to turn it up a bit, but they are there.
I’m With You is an album full of songs that require you to get up and groove, like the aptly titled ‘Dance, Dance, Dance’ and the honky-tonk stylings of ‘Happiness Loves Company’. There is also the cow-bell heavy ‘The Adventures of Raindance Maggie’, which doesn’t have enough cow-bell if you ask me. There are also songs that are great to just chill out and listen too whilst having a cup-o-tea like ‘Ethiopia’.
Good summer listening. Hope you are persuaded.