Unlimited Love by the Red Hot Chili Peppers: An Honest Review
The fan-favorite lineup of RHCP has officially returned! Source: rryanrramsey87
Earlier this month, on April 1, the Red Hot Chili Peppers finally released their highly-anticipated album Unlimited Love. After teasing the fanbase with songs from the album such as “Black Summer” and “Poster Child”, the band dropped the album in its entirety in what many were afraid would be an April Fool’s joke.
The album is very exciting for long-time RHCP fans, as it’s been six years since the band dropped their last album, The Getaway. Now, once again with fan-favorite guitarist John Frusciante, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are back.
However, the album – like anything – is not perfect. Here is an honest breakdown of some of the songs, complete with strengths, weaknesses and a rating out of 10.
“Black Summer”
Strengths:
The chemistry between Frusciante and Flea is on display, with beautiful countermelodies between the two throughout the song.
Frusciante’s guitar solo is sure to make your hair stand up!
Weaknesses:
The lyrics are very abstract and non sequitur; obscure references and images such as “cremation takes its piece of your supply”, “a sailor spoke too soon” and “riding on a headless horse to make the trip” are bound to induce confusion in listeners.
Overall: 9/10
“Here Ever After”
Strengths:
The chorus has a great melody and gives the listener the strong urge to sing along.
The instrumental final minute of the song provides fans with some classic improvisation from Flea, Chad and Frusciante.
Weaknesses:
Antony Kiedis' off-key, spoken word style in the verses does not work for this song as it detracts from the strong melody present in the chorus.
The lyrics, such as “She’s Eurasian, met her at the Quick Stop, We danced at Tito’s Go Go” are rather nonsensical; this has been an issue that fans have previously had with some other songs.
Overall: 8/10
“Aquatic Mouth Dance”
Strengths:
The sort of funk present in albums like Blood Sugar Sex Magik is brought back, with a great rhythm held down by Flea and Chad.
To many fans’ surprise, the band makes use of a horns section that gets its own solo – and it works! The horns contribute greatly to the melody of the song and accentuate the song’s funk.
Weaknesses:
There is not as much of a melody present within this song. It’s easy to bop your head along, but not as easy to sing along to.
Nonsensical lyrics are again present in this track.
Overall: 7/10
“Not the One”
Strengths:
This is an extremely effective breakup piece, with yearning vocals by Kiedis. Lyrics such as “I’d do most anything to make you think that I’m the one” effectively convey longing for someone in a way that many listeners can relate to.
Great control by Chad Smith to keep the song slow and sad.
Fruciante delivers the perfect solo for the song, truly channeling emotion into each note.
The instrumental outro is the perfect conclusion to this song, maintaining consistency with the tone and theme of the piece.
Weaknesses:
Not much is left to be desired in this song. It tugs at the heartstrings and maintains great consistency in its vibe and theme.
Overall: 9/10
“Bastards of Light”
Strengths:
Frusciante’s backing vocals remind the fans of how essential he is to the wholeness of the band’s sound.
The band makes great use of contrast by tapping into a significantly harder sound than other tracks on the album before transitioning into a gentle outro.
Weaknesses:
Anthony Kiedis’ vocals are rather far off-key in the intro, leaving listeners slightly worried for what’s to come.
Weak lyricism is again present in this song. Lyrics such as “Meet me at the old meat market” are strange and out of place, and it’s never effectively indicated what a “bastard of light” is.
Overall: 8/10
All-in-all, this project is a strong return for the Chili Peppers. They stick pretty close to their tried and true sounds for larger audiences, blending rock and funk into some memorable tunes and leaving behind the punk they started their careers on.
It’s extremely exciting to see Frusciante back and listen to him seamlessly return to the chemistry that made him and his band the stars they are.
The same weaknesses in RHCP’s sound that have frustrated fans are still present, however. In songs such as “Poster Child” and “Aquatic Mouth Dance,” questionable lyrics and Kiedis’ rambling are likely to leave some fans scratching their heads.
Fans now wait eagerly for the Chili Peppers’ next move, delighted to see their favorite Californian rock-funk ensemble back in action.