Review Summary: "We are all just soldiers in this battlefield of life.”
The Getaway is the 11th studio record from funk-rock legends, Red Hot Chili Peppers. After the inconsistent mess that was I'm With You, it's good to see RHCP find their form again and a new stride with guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. This is also an album of firsts, a new producer that isn't Rick Rubin, he has been replaced by Danger Mouse. This is also a much more minimalistic and softer record than anything the Peppers have put out in their careers and to its credit it works marvelously, it's a fascinating new colour for them.
The albums lead single "Dark Necessities" is a return to form, but its's not your typical happy, upbeat ode to California you would expect from them. In fact nothing on this album is an ode to California which is a refreshing breath of air in itself. "Dark Necessities" is angry and spiteful with a chorus that sneers "You don't know my mind, you don't know my kind". Anthony and co are finally done with being taken lightly and treated like a joke and that is very evident here.
Unsurprisingly, The Getaway easily stands as the Peppers most unique album to date, a welcome reprieve from 25 years of cramped, formulaic mixes. But at the same time no RHCP record would be complete without Flea's bass slapping, Anthony's rapping and full on funk breakdowns, but the best thing is none of these things overstay their welcome, they are all perfectly sprinkled throughout the record.
Danger Mouses regular touches are present here of course, he adds a certain flare to the record with the string arrangements and downplayed piano ping all along the background of the album on tracks like "Feasting On Flowers" and "The Hunter". There are throwbacks to a more upbeat band that once was on songs like "Go Robot", "Detroit" whose guitar work sounds like a more simplistic take of "Can't Stop" and "This Ticonderoga" which swaps minimalism for fuzz box guitars and happy-go-lucky bass slaps. These bring a nice injection of urgency and pace to the album.
Album closer "Death of A Samurai" suffers from over atmospherics, there's far too much going on here but no meaning to it at all, there's no reason this track should take in so much considering the great balance the rest of the album had with the atmospherics, this just seems like it was an early attempt at what they wanted from the rest of the album and just left it in to fill out time.
Overall this album is a nice break from the over the top theatrics and praises to the holy state of California, softer instrumentals but with some old habits that refuse to fall away. Some people will look down on this album just for the fact that John is no longer their guitar wizard but that's ok, Josh will never fill his shoes, Anthony and co know that and that is why they are taking a different approach to song writing and leaving John's maximalist ideals where they should be and not try make the new guy into something he's not.
