Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You

 Making a triumphant return once more after a five year hiatus, Funk rock legends and overall rock icons, Red Hot Chili Peppers have released their tenth album I'm With You and thank goodness. Thank goodness that while we live in times of strife and despair, with more bad news lurking round every corner, we can take joy in such a groovy, danceable and fun rock and roll album, which also manages to maintain a sense of a dramatic and original sense of character about it.
 Once again, I'm With You allows Flea to be the driving force behind the music again, allowing for some funky-as-hell, joyful, uplifting and overall awesome rock. A lot of the songs on the album take a slower and more relaxed pace then some previous work, but it works, as it gives a greater sense of the desire to lay back relax and let the good times roll, clearly an underlying message of the album. Of course the songs remain funky so listeners have the ability chill out or get up and dance and party to them. Best examples of this can be seen in Goodbye Hooray, Look Around, and hit single The Adventures of Raindance Maggie. Elsewhere, a more melancholic, emotional side to RHCP can be found, most notably on the tracks Police Station and Brendan's Death Song, which are played with a real energy and passion.
 Now, the main worry many had towards this album was regarding the departure of long time guitarist John Frusciante and are cynical towards the recruitment of new axe man Josh Klinghoffer. I mean, does anyone else find seeing photos of the 2011 lineup a little weird? Klinghoffer just looks so young next to his fellow bandmates. But he looks like he's having fun and judging from his axe-work on the album, it sounds like it too. Wether he's just chilling out and making slicker more subtle riffs on Ethiopia or he's making some deranged fretboard licks during Did I Let You Know, you can see a real raw talent and you can tell he's just having a great time, making the listening even more satisfying.
 And so, if ever an album is needed to lift spirits and these days, looking around us, it often is, I'm With You is played with the laid back joy that can lift anyone and grant them with the ability to relax, get lost in the world of uplifting funk and embrace a musical world of blissfulness and goodwill.