Las Vegas Mercury
30th December 2004, Las vegas Mercury
(3 of 5 stars)
Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante’s most recent full-length solo album, Shadows Collide With People, was released in February after Frusciante put it together in only two months. The breathless pace of creating the work inspired him to take on an even bigger endeavor; he planned a series of records to be released once a month through the rest of the year. The first four releases saw Frusciante work with members of Fugazi and dabble in space rock, stripped-down singer/songwriter stuff and electronica, and most recently he collaborates with longtime musical friend and member of The Bicycle Thief Josh Klinghoffer. Inconsistency could be a hallmark of any work crafted in 30 days or less, but Frusciante and Klinghoffer manage almost 40 minutes of textured, ambient music stretched out over seven tracks.
Frusciante’s newest solo work is a far cry from his Chili Peppers efforts, although some Californication-era guitar tones manage to find their way onto several tracks, including the droning synthfest of eight-minute-plus opener “Sphere.”
It’s clear why Frusciante cherishes his union with Klinghoffer. On “Communique,” “At Your Enemies” and “Surrogate People”–the disc’s more melodic, balanced songs–Klinghoffer’s malleable, almost feminine vocals seep into the sonic mix seamlessly, where Frusciante’s raspy growls and goofy falsetto sometimes clashes with the drum loops, keyboards and white noise that most of his songs are built upon.
The sixth disc in Frusciante’s series, Curtains, is scheduled for a February release. Listening to them all might be a move for true fans only, but for those interested in a broad taste of the brilliant guitarist’s experimental leanings, Sphere is a palate-pleaser.
-Brock Radke
