Released: 2022
Genres: Alternative Rock, Funk Rock, Pop Rock
The Musiquarium’s Unlimited Love Review Score: 6 out of 10
Once John Frusciante left Red Hot Chili Peppers for the second time, the band went through another creative rut, with I’m In You and The Getaway falling short of the standard set by the band’s incredible run of albums from 1999 to 2006. Neither album was horrible, but just like 1995’s One Hot Minute, Frusciante’s absence was the elephant in the room that just couldn’t be ignored. Frusciante helped elevate the band into superstardom, not once, but twice — his influence clearly had a profound influence on the group’s success. Rick Rubin also returns to the producer’s chair, after being absent from The Getaway.
From the first few seconds of Black Summer, you can already tell that Unlimited Love is going to be more lively and dynamic than the last two albums — it’s as if Frusciante is an adrenaline shot being injected into the heart of the band. Here Ever After sounds like it could have been a Stadium Arcadium leftover. Flea sneaks in some trumpet on Aquatic Mouth Dance and Let ’em Cry. There are some old school-sounding R.H.C.P. jams, like Poster Child and One Way Traffic, as well as plenty of their more modern melodic stuff. Bastards of Light is one of the stranger and more experimental songs here, with some rotary guitar and synthesizers, the latter of which subtly appear throughout the album.
With the loudness war of the 2000s long behind us, we finally have a post-Blood Sugar Sex Magik Frusciante era album that sounds acceptable on the production front — perhaps Rick Rubin’s recent work with The Strokes on their Grammy-winning album The New Abnormal had carried over to the Chili Peppers. The only downside, is that the material just isn’t as good as their previous collaborations with Rubin and somewhat feels like going through the motions.
Unlimited Love is the weakest John Frusciante R.H.C.P. record yet, suffering from the type of bloated tracklist that has held back much of their best work, but without any of those albums’ highs. For a band full of talented musicians, they sure know how to make boring music, but at least Frusciante is back in the band.
For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Red Hot Chili Peppers on Discogs.
Back to the 2022 Album Guide or the Red Hot Chili Peppers Reviews page.
Written by Brett Nippard