Some bands schedule their comebacks and subsequent split-ups into their day planners, while other bands' comebacks are much rarer events that are worth the trouble of sitting up and noticing. Some bands fall into the "Where are they now?" Nexus while others exceed expectations. And still other bands fall somewhere in between.
Jane's Addiction successfully earned a few dollars masquerading as a bunch of homeless street performers on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" to promote their new album, Strays. Few of the passers-by caught on to lead singer Perry Ferrell's distinctive whining wail. It's been a while since their last bona fide studio album, 1990's Ritual de lo Habitual.
The fab foursome released their new CD, Strays, July 22 after much fanfare from the entertainment media. While there might not be much rust accrued on the band's equipment, absent from this decent rock disc are steel drums, long art-rock pieces and barking dogs. The disc simply won't captivate the masses or the fans like the experimental Nothing's Shocking and Ritual did.
Naturally, the band has set a high standard for itself to meet, and the disc is a good listen - just don't expect a classic. Strays is chock full of the band's timeless, funky punk-rap sound, which still gets a ton of radio play. The first single, "Just Because," is reminiscent of both Ritual and Nothing's Shocking. It's also the least memorable song on the album, primarily because it's so obviously radio-friendly. The whole CD is easy on the ears, which is both good and bad.
The CD is at its best when it breaks into Dave Navarro's juicy guitar playing during the faster songs. Rather than being somewhat unremarkable and bleak like the guitar work on Navarro's solo effort, Trust No One, the music is engaging. Strong bass lines from Eric Avery's replacement, Chris Chaney, and funky beats from drummer Stephen Perkins turn parts of the disc into delicious ear candy. The frenetic, groovy riffs of "Wrong Girl" don't say a whole lot, but sure do rock. This is a sort of departure from the previous CDs, since few of the songs dance over the five-minute mark. Long-time fans are sure to be upset by the straight-up rock record that Strays is.
Why Jane's eschewed the long works is a mystery to me, because the fans love it and nothing says "alternative rockers" like 10 minutes of drawn-out, moaned poetry. Not that I personally mind it too much - Jane's Addiction didn't exactly invent the idea, and the CD is a lot more cohesive for the lack of operatic blasting. The problem is the CD fails to achieve lyrical greatness at any song length - it's merely "excellent" or "well-produced." Tired words of drugs and angst wear thin on the mind, even though the music is as great as ever.
The gradually quickening tempo of "Price I Pay" provides a cheap substitute for epic work, as do relatively slower, moodier songs like "Everybody's Friend." "To Match the Sun" is arguably the best song on the album, starting out with an eerie science fiction "ooo-eee-ooo" and transitioning into a sort of uplifting hard rock power ballad. "Superhero" is another high point in both sound and lyrics, a rap-rocked love song this time. The rest of the CD is frantic and rousing, as in the testosterone of "Hypersonic" and "Suffer Some," about drug problems.
Give the CD a shot if you're a fan, or if you're looking for something to crank up really loud and alienate your entire neighborhood with. But if you're hurting for revolutionary music, crank Strays up in your 1991 Chevy and head down to your local record store to buy the band's older works.
Nicole Saidi is the Content Editor of the Web Devil. Reach her at nicole.saidi@asu.edu.
