Review Summary: "Curtains" stands on the strength of its otherworldly beauty, emotional honesty, and Frusciante's singular artistic vision. It deserves your time, nothing less.
John Frusciante’s 2004 album “Curtains” has all the hallmarks of another intriguing and exploratory solo work from the former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist. Recorded shortly after 2004’s more rock-centric “Shadows Collide with People,” “Curtains” finds Frusciante delving further into avant-garde sonic textures while crafting his typically cerebral pop song structures. Just as the album’s title might suggest, “Curtains” parts the veil into the inventiveness of this musician’s eclectic mind.
One of the most striking aspects of “Curtains” is the dense arrangements that swirl around the songs’ skeletal acoustic guitar or piano bases. With moody synth tones, crackling ambience and distorted electric guitar solos the instrumental canvas is splattered in a minimalistic yet profound way. “Anne” is a great illustration of John’s layered approach.
What is left is Frusciante's voice achingly wailing out front in the mix, lending each song a space for intimacy, while gossamer backing harmonies carefully float and swell underneath, more felt than explicitly heard. “Lever Pulled” perfectly encapsulates this dynamic.
But what is true is his indie-poet lyrical sensibilities that emphasize imprecise emotional momentum over precision of meaning. The words paint shadows more than they connect linear dots into an easily digestible narrative. Frusciante wants to envelop the listener in a vibe more than explicate himself confessionally- such as on the ballad “Leap Your Bar”.
With “Curtains,” John Frusciante shows himself firmly outside the conventional boundaries of popular music. The album rewards patience as one acclimates to its defiantly uncommercial pacing and oblong landscapes. Yet, those willing to meet it on its own terms will discover touching beauty and melody peeking through the curtains. The album serves as a precious instalment; one that takes a daringly bare-boned approach and succeeds in giving more than it takes.
