Review: Curtains [Frusciante Countdown]

Curtains- John Frusciante

[Countdown to Enclosure]

by: Sabrina G

Following A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, a primarily electronic based album, Curtains is a near 180. The album is much softer and largely acoustic. The album features a guitar solo contribution from Omar Rodríguez-López and also appearances from Carla Azar (of Autolux) and Ken Wild. This album stands out among his releases because it’s unique stripped down and acoustic sound.

The album opens with ‘The Past Recedes’, which I had always thought of as a slightly better known Frusciante song. I’m not sure if it is, I’m only going off the fact that it has a music video. Regardless, it’s a really lovely acoustic tune. It almost sets the tone for the rest of the album – chill, raw, and gorgeous.

One of my favorite tracks on the album is ‘Control’, which is marked by slightly more staccato guitar (for lack of a much better term). John’s vocals seem to match it, mostly in the way of rhythm and phrasing. ‘Time Tonight’ is a song that, in my opinion, shows off the higher register of John’s voice nicely. It also includes some of the reversed tracks that defined his first two albums, which is something I found to be notable.

The vocals on this album seem to be showcased a bit more than they are on other Frusciante releases; this is most likely a result of it being very laid-back. It’s nice to have a focus on his voice. While his musical ability is mind blowing in damn near every way, I feel as though his voice gets over shadowed. Having an acoustic album where the overall sound is a lot softer allows for the vocals to be front and center. I think Fru’s voice was overdue for a nice showcasing.

Although this kind of description may, for some reason, carry some negative connotations… the album is pretty simple and straight forward. It lacks the experimentation of his other releases but still manages to be entirely unique and innovative. However, I doubt that anything John Frusciante releases will be anything less than that. This album is unique in his discography which is one of the many nice qualities it has. It showcases John’s ability to go from crazy experimental music to something simpler.

This album is downright beautiful. That’s the only truly appropriate word to describe it.