Shadows Collide With People

1	Carvel 6:15
2	Omission 4:34
3	Regret 2:58
4	Ricky 3:57
5	Second Walk 1:43
6	Every Person 2:38
7	-00Ghost27 3:50
8	Wednesday's Song 3:31
9	This Cold 2:00
10	Failure33 Object 2:56
11	Song to Sing When I'm Lonely 3:16
12	Time Goes Back 3:23
13	In Relief 3:36
14	Water 4:06
15	Cut-Out 3:34
16	Chances 1:49
17	23 Go in to End 6:42
18	The Slaughter 3:53

Barnes & Noble

John Frusciante's previous solo work practically redefined the phrase "uneasy listening," with the drug-sodden lyrics and tangential acquaintance with song structure -- both of which contributed to the aural fascination and the desire to include him in death pools. The Chili Peppers guitarist has cleaned up his act but hasn't -- as reflected in the grooves of this, his fourth solo outing -- lost his ability to commune with muses from other astral planes. At its most constructed, as on the shimmering "Wednesday's Song," the disc recalls the mellower side of the Peppers' recent work, with the added benefit of Frusciante's frazzled-but-engaging voice at the fore. The more Frusciante strips away, however, the more compelling Shadows gets: "Song to Sing when I'm Lonely" may border on the naïve, but the gentle cadences are strangely warming. Likewise, "Carvel" takes a surprisingly playful tone, providing a sweet counterpoint to more acid interludes such as "The Slaughter" and "Regret." As on earlier efforts, Frusciante peppers the disc with ambient, synth-veined pieces -- highlighted by "23 Go in to End" and "00 Ghost 27" -- but this time around, those interludes are less jarring, more fully formed compositions. Chili Pepper diehards won't be able to shake their collective groove thing to it, but Shadows Collide with People provides a mighty good workout from the neck up. David Sprague

All Music Guide

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

Rolling Stone

Full of a lush, bubbling beauty that proves Frusciante's personal rehabilitation has taken his music further than ever. Barry Walters