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Album name: I’m With You
Label: Warner Bros.
Release Date: August 26, 2011
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Review written by: Alexandra Boisvert |
Ten studio albums later, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are still as hot as ever. I’m With You proves to be another success for the band. Interesting fact about the album: this is the first studio album to feature guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. This album proves to be almost a different experience than their other albums have been. Singer Anthony Kiedis has pointed out that with the change of guitar players came a change in the band’s vibe. He claims that it is practically a new band and anyone with prior knowledge of the band can hear it on this album.
The album kicks off with the very lively “Monarchy of Roses.” Reminiscent of their past hits, this is a great start to the album. This song is in no way forgettable with its lyrics reminiscent of biblical ideas and concepts.
“Factory of Faith” is a song about believing in a relationship and a love that has formed. This makes the song highly relatable, though the lyrics make it slightly hard to follow. Their message is not completely clear to listeners.
“Brendan’s Death Song” is an account of life and death in general. It is a song with lyrics that cause you to stop and look at just how short your life can be. This is a concept that a lot of people play with, but I don’t think anyone truly captures it, though this is a good way to look at it. On a slightly different note is “Ethiopia” which is an attempt to give hope.
“Annie Wants a Baby” is a song about a girl who seems to have some psychological issues. This isn’t the song for everyone. Though the beat and melody are very true to the style of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, the lyrics are cause for some people to skip past this one. Not the strongest song on the album.
Another story of a girl can be heard in the song “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie.” The song captures the emotion the man has for the woman in the song. It almost gives the sense that he is intrigued by her and constantly surprised by her depth.
“Did I Let You Know” and “Goodbye, Hooray” are two opposite concepts. “Did I Let You Know” is about the need to tell someone how you feel about them while “Goodbye, Hooray” is about someone who doesn’t have a care in the world as far as relationships go. These are placed well because they provide a contrast to one another.
Though it isn’t completely clear, “Happiness Loves Company” seems to be a song about humbling yourself. It tells you to basically take a step back and realize that you can always better yourself though as the title states, “happiness loves company.”
“Police Station” tells the story of someone who has essentially given up on trying. They got so used to ending up in the police station that they thought that was all they were good for. The narrator discusses how sorry they feel for that person. I’d imagine that happens to a lot of criminals, which makes this into more of a real life situation.
Going back to their more hip-hop inspired roots, “Even You, Brutus?” is a mix of rapping along with a catchy chorus. This song is a pleasant change in tone from the other songs on the album. It provides a break in the consistency which is occasionally needed on an album.
“Meet Me at the Corner” is about a guy who is pleading with a woman to figure out what he did wrong in the relationship. In terms of situation, this is the most relevant of the songs.
The last of the songs on the album is “Dance, Dance, Dance.” This is the most easygoing song on the entire album. It is about dancing even though there are troubles in your life. It is about that moment of forgetting all of your worries and just letting go. This is the best message conveyed on the album.
Overall, this album is not for everyone, though the die-hard fans will not be disappointed. It is a great album with intense and complicated metaphors that will not be easily understood. This causes it to not be as universal as some albums tend to be but it is still one to be enjoyed and is definitely worth picking up. |
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