Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You
2011, Warner Bros.Time brings change to the Red HotChili Peppers on their latest studio effort, I'm With You. The follow-upto 2006's iconic double album, Stadium Arcadium is the band's mostplayful and flowing work to date. Armed with a new guitarist and a freshoutlook born of time away and maturity, Red Hot Chili Peppers aim straight forthe top of the charts with fresh songs that haven't lost an ounce of edge orpop sensibility.
I'm With You opens with an intriguing mix of edgy guitar and dance beatson "Monarchy Of Roses" before exploding into the alt-pop gold of"Factory Of Faith". This is classic RHCP updated for 2011, anddestined to be a chart hit. "Ethiopia" is built on a simple, catchyarrangement and features some of the best guitar work on the album. The Chili’suse their patented talk/sing style to illuminate “Look Around”, a catchy,minimalist arrangement that will stick out in your mind. Plowing through the exceedingly solid numbers“The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie” and “Did I Let You Know”, RHCP digs into “GoodbyeHooray”, an absolutely infectious alternapop number that you’re likely to hearringing from your radio in the not-too-distant future. “Police Station” is expansive and dreamy,ethereal in intriguing fashion. It’s aninteresting transitional piece for the band, and works better than you might atfirst expect. I’m With You winds downslowly, closing out with the mildly catchy “Dance, Dance, Dance”.
Red Hot Chili Peppers capture someof their old magic on I’m With You,but also struggle at times to find a groove. The “new sound” isn’t so much new as updated, but some of the creative tensionof past works isn’t here. That may taketime to appear, or it may never cement the way it once was, but this remains ahighly talented group of musicians who are still very capable of rocking youwith a distinct pop intensity. I’m With You shows growth and change,while maintain some of the zeitgeist of the Red Hot Chili Peppers story.
Rating:3 Stars (Out of 5)
Learn more about Red Hot ChiliPeppers at www.redhotchilipeppers.comor www.myspace.com/redhotchilipeppers.I’m With You is available fromAmazon.com as a CDor Download. The album is also available via iTunes.