Red Hot Chili Peppers, ‘The Getaway’ – Album Review
Red Hot Chili Peppers' signature sound has generated long-standing radio staples during their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career. The familiar Flea bass sound, Anthony Kiedis' rhythmic patter and Chad Smith's funky drumming have generated a unique feel that has served the band well, but with The Getaway, it appears as though the Chili Peppers are showing they have some new tricks up their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sleeves.
For their latest effort, the band collaborated with producer Danger Mouse, who has also enjoyed success as an artist in the bands Gnarls Barkley and Broken Bells. And whether it's Danger Mouse having a direct influence or the band writing material with him in mind to produce, it feels like a perfect fit. It should be noted that this is not the high-energy, funk-filled Red Hot Chili Peppers we have come to know over the past few decades, but that's not to say there aren't moments of energy and funk on the album.
The Getaway finds the band experimenting with more sounds in the musical palette, with keyboards and piano taking on a bigger role in the overall scheme of things. Those who've heard the single "Dark Necessities" got a bit of that with the Death Cab for Cutie-like opening before the familiar Flea bass funk kicks in. There's more of that later as tracks like the title track, "Sick Love" and "Feasting on the Flowers" thrive in parts when the keys and or piano take over.
Overall, it's a more somber and soulful Chili Peppers that we hear, especially toward the end of the album where tracks like "Encore," "The Hunter" and "Dreams of a Samurai" connect like they were meant for a late night chill out session. In fact, the album as a whole feels as if it were meant to be played during the evening hours, with the opening trio of tracks -- "The Getaway," "Dark Necessities" and "We Turn Red" feeling as though they could float on the evening air as you head out for fun, while "Encore" "The Hunter" and "Dreams of the Samurai" feel like the late night cool down.
For those looking for something a little heavier, dig in to the dark yet energetic "Detroit," a track with a Jane's Addiction-esque vibe toward the end of the song, which is followed by "This Ticonderoga," arguably the heaviest song on the album with a driving guitar leading the way. Other standouts aside from "Dark Necessities" and the preview tracks "The Getaway" and "We Turn Red," include the slow-building "Goodbye Angels," the somewhat reggae-tinged "Feasting on the Flowers" that turns more anthemic by its conclusion and the soulful and reflective "The Hunter."
The Getaway is a perfect title for an album that finds Red Hot Chili Peppers breaking the mold a bit, and while it may take some longtime fans a bit to adjust, this "getaway" is a journey worth taking and growing with.
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