April 1st had come again and the internet exploded as usual, lobbing joke after joke with some of them even reading as fairly convincing. One thing that was not a joke however, was the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers twelfth studio album. The band releases their first album in six years, and it’s safe to say they’ve still got it. It even marks the return of John Frusciante on guitars, last recording with the band nearly sixteen years ago. So far the consensus is a positive one, most of the music community excited for their long awaited return.
The last two years have hit everyone hard, and their new record Unlimited Love serves as an appropriate escape from the aftermath of the pandemic.
The Peppers sound like their original selves more than ever, though like almost every other musician currently, their musical inspiration stems from similar places. The last two years have hit everyone hard, and their new record Unlimited Love serves as an appropriate escape from the aftermath of the pandemic. As things begin to return to normal, regardless of how slowly, the Peppers preach a message of goodwill and unity in Unlimited Love. The pop-funk vibe is ever present in this outing, but the growth and evolution of the band as a whole is the interesting factor, and it’s this that makes the album worth lending the time to. After all this time, a band who’s been playing since the 80s can still stay relevant.
In conjunction with the band’s fresh direction, producer Rick Rubin gets off the bench and into the game after having sat out in their 2016 album The Getaway. Rest assured, the difference it makes is astounding and it shows in more ways than one. Lyrically the band is in no way lacking, delivered in style by Anthony Kiedis. With literal decades now under his belt, frontman Kiedis sings as though he’s only just signed his record deal. Instrumentally, this is a group that knows everything there is to know about playing and will forget more than most musicians will ever learn. No track is absent spirit or flair, but the songs with the most substance are Poster Child, Watchu Thinkin’, and the opening track Black Summer. Poster Child is probably the most fun of all the tracks. It’s funky, and the rhythm is a continuous and addicting listen. Watchu Thinkin’ is, best put, the most similar to the Peppers earlier music, whilst Black Summer opens the album with an obvious intent; signalling the message that even after all that’s happened, the worst is over and the sun will rise in the morning.
There’s more that could be said, but doing so would be an injustice and then readers probably wouldn’t waste time listening to the album anyway. In order to fully grasp the greatest of their return, one has to take the hour run time to enjoy it. Because a review is just that, a review. Don’t take the word of this basic run down, as the Red Hot Chili Peppers are at a stage where they don’t actually need anyone to vouch for them anymore.
