The Getaway, Warner Bros, KEY TRACK: ‘This Ticonderoga’
“If this is going to work, we just have to throw ourselves off a cliff and see what happens,” said RHCP frontman Anthony Kiedis of his band’s mindset during the recording sessions for The Getaway. No strangers to a musical gamble or three, the Funky Monks abandoned 30 odd songs ear-marked for their 11th opus and enlisted Danger Mouse to replace Rick Rubin, who was not only their producer of the last 25 years, but the architect of their sound. So, no pressure there then...
From the get-go, the knob twiddler makes his presence felt: opening number ‘The Getaway’ boasts some beat-boxing, synth-y wobbles and sweet backing vocals, courtesy of That Dog’s Anna Waronker, putting a fresh spin on their distinctive sound. The Elton John-featuring, funky, slow jam ‘Sick Love’ is another stand-out, as is the blaxploitation soundtrack informed ‘Feasting On Flowers’. But as pleasing as those impeccably produced ditties are, the record ultimately suffers due to a lack of dirty rockers to get the blood flowing. Only ‘Detroit’ and the blustering garage punk of ‘This Ticonderoga’ buck the trend. Though The Getaway is by no means a misfire, a few more bona fide anthems would have made it a much more memorable experience.
_Out: JUNE 17