New Album Review: Red Hot Chili Peppers- Return of the Dream Canteen

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Return of the Dream Canteen

Label: Warner

Producer: Rick Rubin

Arriving just six months after Unlimited Love, which marked the end of a six year drought in their recorded output, the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ thirteenth long-player emanates from the same sessions as its predecessor, sessions that not only benefited from the abundance of time afforded by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also played host to the return of longtime producer Rick Rubin and guitarist John Frusciante. As already evidenced on Unlimited Love, these qualities translated into vibrant results on record, announcing a new era in the Peppers’ long history that can’t help but feel full of a rejuvenated energy. And while they may have shared a womb, Unlimited and Return of the Dream Canteen more than stand on their own as distinct, independent, and undeniably marvelous bodies of work. Launched by the exhilarating and anthemic fire of lead single, “Tippa My Tongue”, this project has a decidedly less brooding and more raucous temperament than tracks like “Black Summer”, and that thread carries through on tracks like “Peace and Love”, the breezy and brassy funk of “Bella” or the dreamy synth of “My Cigarette”. That’s not to suggest that Canteen is lighter in fare; there’s just a greater sense of renewed release floating on the surface of the slightly more jam-based ambience to the overall record. The project certainly boasts plenty of the epic rock showstoppers that have been staples on all of the band’s records: chief among them being the cinematic Van Halen tribute track, “Eddie”, the soulful uncertainty of the partial spoken word in “In the Snow”, and especially the hypnotic and almost meditative balladry of “La La La La La La La La”, truly one of Anthony Kiedis’ most dynamic vocal renderings. Meanwhile, the overall sound of the record is just so damn good. While it’s true that there’s never really been a bad-sounding Peppers record, this album further solidifies the sentiment coming out of the Ultimate Love release that the band just sounds at their absolute best with Rubin at the helm. Every vocal and instrumental moment is maximized to its fullest emotional impact, which is equally as evidenced by Frusciante’s guitar solos as it is Kiedis’ vocals. The returning guitar hero is truly provided with the level of material necessitated by such a prominent return, with the aforementioned “Eddie” appropriately serving as the most tantalizing. This is the sound of a band of living rock legends still very much on top of their game, both technically and creatively, a full thirty years beyond their commercial breakthrough. And that my friends, is an immensely unique and rewarding gift that we as music lovers should be passionately relishing in at the present moment.

Track Listing:

1. “Tippa My Tongue” (Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, Chad Smith)
2. “Peace and Love” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
3. “Reach Out” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
4. “Eddie” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
5. “Fake as Fuck” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
6. “Bella” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
7. “Roulette” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
8. “My Cigarette” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
9. “Afterlife” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
10. “Shoot Me A Smile” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
11. “Handful” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
12. “The Drummer” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
13. “Bag of Grins” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
14. “La La La La La La La La” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
15. “Copperbelly” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
16. “Carry Me Home” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)
17. “In the Snow” (Kiedis, Flea, Frusciante, Smith)