The problem is that the band is caught between making two entirely different albums at once, and two albums they've already done before. "I'm With You" is a strange, almost paradoxical cross between the gentle melodies and laid-back, subtle funk of "Californication" and the aggression and energetic, punk-funk sounds of "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." It's in this area where the album has major issues.
That's not to say there isn't any good. In fact, some of the work is the best they've done in years. But they're at their best when they're trying to be a new band, beyond the iconic sounds of the past.
From the opening piano of "Happiness Loves Company," it's immediately captivating. Their usual catchy, energetic selves. It's everything the Red Hot Chili Peppers have built themselves on.
But that song doesn't come until close to the album's end. Other than "Brendan's Death Song," it's hard to find a truly successful song on the album before that point.
"Police Station," "Even You Brutus?" and "Meet Me at the Corner" are all excellent. Really excellent. These songs exemplify what the Red Hot Chili Peppers' new album should have been in its entirety. A meaningful and heartfelt album undeniably worthy of their legacy.
Unfortunately, most of the album is spent trying to recapture sounds that are long gone. Nothing embodies this better than the album's first single, "The Adventures of Raindance Maggie."
After beginning with a more aggressive groove, reminiscent of an
Red Hot Chili Peppers' new album lackluster
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