John Frusciante - Shadows Collide with People

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Running time dilutes the magic

Warners - 2004 - 63 minutes

Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusicante's solo offerings often feel like works-in-progress, but this is his most beguiling to date. Recorded with multi-instrumentalist friend Josh Klinghoffer in between tours, 'Shadows...' finds Frusciante becoming more confident as a vocalist, with his playing as sublime as ever.

The letdown is that it's way too long: if he dispensed with the forays into electronica and picked the best material, there's a great record here - stretching it to over an hour dilutes the magic. Like previous albums, it could appeal more to non-Chilis fans, though the argument that the upbeat 'Omission' and desolation of 'Every Person' deserve as wide an audience as possible becomes more persuasive by the listen.

This out-of-the-arenas adventure feels like it has a long way to run.

Harry Guerin

Tracklisting: Carvel - Omission - Regret - Ricky - Second Walk - Every Person - -00Ghost27 - Wednesday's Song - This Cold - Failure 33 Object - Song to Sing When I'm Lonely - Time Goes Back - In Relief - Water - Cut-Out - Chances - 23 Go in to End - The Slaughter