Digg.be

from Digg.be

”I was afraid to be me”, sings John Frusciante at the beginning of ‘Ricky’, one of the many richly harmonized pearls on his new solo record. In the past tense, cause ever since Crazy John has dropped the drugs demon, not without some effort, and made the Peppers’ level rise again with records like ‘Californication’ and ‘By the way’ , ‘Shadows collide with people’ is the first solo record John didn’t make to finance or forget his expensive and demolishing heroin addiction. Though many will find this a pity, it’s able hear that.Except for some hypnotizing, electronic instrumentals nothing on this album makes you remember the introspective madness of Frusciante’s first two solo records. “ To record only water for ten days “ already was a first cautious step towards accessibility and with this fourth solo record John Frusciante particularly seems to like profiling himself as a songwriter “pur sang”. Not without success by the way, cause each one of the transparent en mostly very poppy little sound waterfalls on this record provide instant satisfaction. The reason for this, has to be searched in the impressive palette of lovely lead and backing vocals with whom Frusciante boxes the listener’s ears. It’s almost impossible to rest unmoved at the changing moods in ‘Omission’ or the imposing voice of ‘Time goes back’, at which Frusciante displays the kind of vocal flair usually a certain Mike Patton would use. Indeed it’s absolutely true that Frusciante’s solo work has never sounded more Peppers than on this record, but it never becomes a carbon copy. On the contrary, ‘Shadows collide with people’ is in the first place a proof that RHCP has to thank its comeback in the leading group of rock to the contribution of this excellent songwriter. Maybe that’s why, looking at the lyrics of “Regret”, “Ricky” and “Time goes back”, it seems that Frusciante regrets the years he has wasted . But it never gets sour: for that this record sounds to much as a statement of a man who has found the love for music and life back.

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