Rolling Stone
30th August 2004, Rolling Stone (USA)
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ guitarist John Frusciante is following through on his promise to issue approximately an album of new material a month following this year’s “official” Warner Brothers release Shadows Collide With People. Ataxia’s Automatic Writing is the second release of this plan and the first of a two-part collection featuring Bicycle Thief drummer Josh Klinghoffer and Fugazi bassist Joe Lally. The trio recorded nearly everything live over four days in a loose improvisational groove that stirs up the early post-punk promise of Public Image Limited and the latter day psychedelic twistings of Julian Cope. Ataxia attempts to wring out the most music it can from the least amount of raw material. “Dust” begins things with a simple robotic guitar line that recalls Joy Division, while “Montreal” closes for twelve minutes over a two-note bass riff. Spaceheads in search of the eternal jam, Ataxia are calling.
3 of 5 stars
