Review: The Empyrean [Frusciante Countdown]

The Empyrean- John Frusciante

[Countdown to Enclosure]

by: Sabrina G

Released in 2009, still before the public announcement of his departure from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Empyrean marks a defining shift in John’s approach to music. This is the last record to be approached in the way of a “rock album”. It’s on the conceptual side, tinged with a psychedelic influence, and full of the beautiful experimentation nobody but John can pull off. It features stellar contributions from frequent collaborator Josh Klinghoffer, the incredible Flea, and Johnny Marr of the Smiths (to name one notable credit).  This album is considered to be one of the best in his discography.

It opens with a lengthy instrumental track, ‘Before the Beginning’, which is largely built on ambiance and texture. It’s a pretty calm sound, I suppose you could slap the term “drone jam” onto it. Of course, there’s the appearance of a lovely guitar solo nearly two minutes in. The solo doesn’t over power the song, but rather acts as a support. There’s a harmony created between the soft background and the solo.

The following track is a cover of Tim Buckley’s “Song to the Siren”. There’s an ethereal quality to John’s version. One obvious difference is in instrumentation; Buckley’s is played on an acoustic guitar and obviously fits into the folk niche. Frusciante’s, on the other hand, is heavy with synth and (like the first track) big on ambiance. The two versions are quite different, but still both have their own completely beautiful qualities.

‘Dark/Light’ is an interesting track that embodies the duality of the album. It starts off quite soft, the vocals are obviously treated to make them sound otherworldly… it’s just John and a piano. It switches, quite abruptly, to something that’s very heavy on electronica. Synth and drum machines are the backbone, a groove-oriented riff plays over it all, and there are vocalizations present throughout. It’s a pretty long track (nearly nine minutes) that offers a lot of stylistic polarity.

The Empyrean is a really beautiful album that marks a definite shift in Frusciante’s music. The rock influence is toned down, hidden behind electronica and ethereal qualities. It really shows the diversity present in John’s catalog. It’s unlike his earlier work, both solo and with the Chili Peppers. This album is special because it showcases John as an artist – an artist who is incredibly capable of changing his sound with the time. It’s a testament to his range of talents and the absolute creative freedom within him.