It was only through watching the bland music video to Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new single, “Black Summer”, that I remembered John Frusciante had rejoined the band (again). The results are pretty evident of this reformation as well, because let’s be honest here – the band haven’t written a great song with Frusciante behind the wheel since By the Way. I know, I know, I’m probably sounding a little harsh here, but know that I don’t facetiously parade my sentiment around with no meaning behind it. It might sound like a knee-jerk reaction, but the thing is, when I realised John had returned (again), all of those emotions from Josh Klinghoffer’s firing came flooding back. The thing is, I wouldn’t even say that I’m a fan of the band – I really enjoy some of their albums, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to put one of them on – however, I can affirm one thing with certainty: The Getaway was the best thing the band had done since By the Way, and that was with the help of Josh. Yeah, I’m With You sucks, but I put that down to Josh getting a feel for his surroundings before easing himself into the writing process.

So, it goes without saying that I was a little disappointed Josh had been ripped from the band at a pivotal point in his tenure, as we could have potentially seen an incline in untapped potential within the band post The Getaway, had they continued with Josh. Hell, if John wanted to rejoin the band (again), why couldn’t Josh and John have co-existed? There could have been some really interesting chemistry there. Alas, we are where we are with it, and I will just have to sheath my dummy back into my mouth over a haphazard blunder that could have been handled far more pragmatically, rather than blindly bring back their venerable guitarist (again) because he wants to (again).

What do I think about RHCP’s new song, “Black Summer”? I think it’s exactly what I imagined a RHCP song to sound like with Frusciante holding the reins (again) in 2022: dull. “Black Summer” is a sluggish, derivative ballad – the kind of song we’ve heard from the Peppers many times before – the distinction here is that it all sounds as weary as the band’s longstanding age. The creaking joints are firmly set in place, and the value being retained from this vapid single is minute at best. The problem is that the song sets out to build to a huge peak, only to never deliver on that promise; it just seems to lumber around aimlessly on a plateau. It’s like that confused John Travolta meme, and they just don’t know where the fuck they are. Even the solo feels incredibly impotent, failing to deliver on elevating the track beyond the ground level it rapaciously crawls on. Whether this single is indicative of the record’s overall quality remains to be seen, but judging from the band’s rocky history in recent years, it does bring disquiet to how Unlimited Love will turn out.

Score: 2/5

Sputnik Singles Chart:

1. Yeule – “Too Dead Inside” (User Avg 3.5)
2. Bad Omens – “Like A Villain” (User Avg 3.0)
3. Muse – “Won’t Stand Down” (User Avg 2.5)
4. Avril Lavigne – “Bite Me” (User Avg 2.3)
5. Shinedown – “Planet Zero” (User Avg 2.2)
6. Grimes – “Shinigami Eyes” (User Avg 2.1)