The fourth solo outing from
Red Hot Chili Pepper guitarist
John Frusciante -- OK, fifth for those counting his free 21-track downloadable-only From the Sounds Inside released in 2001 -- is his most accessible effort to date in terms of mainstream appeal. It is likewise worth mentioning that he has made available demos of a majority of these sides on his website for a limited time.
Frusciante also maintains intermittent contact with the avant-garde forces that drove the
Niandra LaDes and
Usually Just a T-Shirt coupling in 1995. Admittedly, enthusiasts of his edgier lo-fi recordings may find 2004's
Shadows Collide With People too polished and produced. However, the sonic spit-shine rarely detracts from the very palpable emotive presence within each of the selections. Although
Frusciante and
Josh Klinghoffer (guitar/vocals/bass/keyboards/percussion) divvy up the lion's share of the instrumentation, the two are joined by fellow
Chili Peppers drummer
Chad Smith and bassist
Flea -- the latter contributing an upright bassline to "The Slaughter" -- as well as Omar Rodriguez on slide guitar and Charlie Clouser's orchestral programming. While "Omission" is signified by
Klinghoffer's co-lead vocal, at the center remains
Frusciante's probing melodic sense. He vacillates between the power-chord rockers "Carvel," "Second Walk," and "This Song" and the haunting beauty of "Regret," which is set against the decidedly more experimental and bold "-00Ghost27," "23 Go In to End," and "Failure33 Object." These wordless excursions lacerate a discernible swath across
Frusciante's otherwise introspective songwriting. Examples include the introduction to "In Relief," "Water," and the
Byrds-ish feel incorporated into "Cut-Out." Even though it might not be the artist's intended goal, with such strong -- if not arguably disparate -- material exemplifying the best of what
Frusciante has to offer,
Shadows Collide With People has something for his listeners past, present, and future. ~ Lindsay Planer