It’s the moment many of us have been eagerly anticipating — particularly those still invested in the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2022. *Unlimited Love*, the first album RHCP have made with John Frusciante since 2006’s sprawling, end-of-an-era double album *Stadium Arcadium*, is out this week. RHCP have had numerous lineup changes over the years, with other notable guitarists such as Hillel Slovak and Dave Navarro making their marks. However, the core, iconic lineup that produced most of their best music is Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, and Chad Smith.
Frusciante started as a fan of RHCP, nearly a decade younger than the rest of the band, and was tasked with replacing Slovak, first recording with them on *Mother’s Milk*. Soon, the teenage devotee became a crucial force in defining RHCP’s sound on their biggest albums. Frusciante brought melancholic spins on Hendrix-esque playing, heavy funk licks, and searing solos. From *Californication* to *Stadium Arcadium*, he made RHCP songs “interesting” through his nuanced guitar work and innovative soundscapes. Despite Josh Klinghoffer’s admirable stint with the band in the 2010s, it never felt quite right. *I’m With You* and *The Getaway* seemed like a waiting period for Frusciante’s return.
Frusciante first left the Chili Peppers in 1992 after their breakthrough *Blood Sugar Sex Magik*, spending six years away before rejoining for the similarly iconic *Californication*. His second departure lasted even longer, and when he announced he was leaving in 2009, the band was already on a two-year hiatus. Thus, when the band announced Frusciante’s return on December 15, 2019 — almost exactly ten years after his second departure — it was a shock. The gang was finally back together, and for many fans, all felt right again.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers shared this sentiment. In numerous interviews, they expressed their joy at reuniting. “John Frusciante has a profound impact on everything that we do,” Flea told KROQ in February. “We all speak the same language. When he’s in the band, we’re able to communicate with each other without speaking and create music in a very fluid way.” According to the band, there was an electric, almost spiritual rebirth during their initial rehearsals with Frusciante. While they started by playing covers to shake off the cobwebs, they soon began jamming and creating new material, resulting in an overflow of creativity. They rejoined producer Rick Rubin and reportedly recorded close to 50 songs, with a “loose plan” for a second album soon after *Unlimited Love*.
Unfortunately, even for those who regard RHCP warmly, the inspiration can be hard to hear on *Unlimited Love*. RHCP albums featuring Frusciante often stretch towards 20 songs, but *Unlimited Love* does the least to justify its hour-plus length. Much of it sounds like the premise that’s been presented: the four of these guys getting back together, no more, no less. While that’s respectable enough, it leaves *Unlimited Love* feeling like a mixed bag.
Longtime fans will find moments to enjoy across the album. Once you get past Kiedis’ puzzling pseudo-Irish accent on “Black Summer,” it feels like a slightly lower-key take on an old-school RHCP anthem. “Here Ever After” rides a solid groove to a catchy chorus. The airiness of “Not The One” pleasantly recalls the band’s more mature sound on *By The Way*. “Aquatic Mouth Dance” is a familiar RHCP song with a cool horn arrangement adding a unique touch.
The highlights often come from hearing Frusciante reintegrate with the band. “Black Summer” conjures a classic RHCP vibe with its progression. On “The Great Apes,” Frusciante’s chorus riff works like a collapsing staircase, and his background vocals add a nostalgic touch throughout the album. “The Heavy Wing” features one of the album’s best moments, with Frusciante taking over the chorus with distorted guitar and howled vocals reminiscent of his early 2000s solo work.
However, the bulk of *Unlimited Love* is easy to take or leave. Most of it isn’t aggressively bad by RHCP standards, but much of it feels unmemorable. The distorted vocal and nu-rock breakdown in “Bastards Of Light” is rough, and Kiedis’ teenage rhymes on “Poster Child” are embarrassing for a man nearing 60. The crime of *Unlimited Love* is that it’s mostly unremarkable, with many tracks feeling like pale echoes of past work without distinct melodies or arrangements.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. The album isn’t disastrous, and some RHCP fans may fully embrace it. But compared to the restlessly creative energy of past Frusciante-era albums, *Unlimited Love* feels like a very safe, meat-and-potatoes iteration of RHCP’s sound. There’s a reason the horn arrangement on “Aquatic Mouth Dance” stands out — there’s precious little differentiating these songs otherwise.
The machine isn’t rusty or broken after a decade of hibernation, but it doesn’t seem to be firing on all cylinders yet. Hopefully, the rumored second album will show a more adventurous side and complete the story of these reunion sessions. For now, *Unlimited Love* is just the sound of RHCP’s new era warming up.