Review: A Sphere in the Heart of Silence [Frusciante Countdown]

A Sphere in the Heart of Silence- Frusciante/Klinghoffer

[Countdown to Enclosure]

by: Sabrina G

A full-fledged Frusciante/Klinghoffer collaboration, A Sphere in the Heart of Silence (which will be referred to as ASHS) brings the best of two amazing musicians out. Every song was written by both John and Josh… the lead vocals were split up… ASHS is simply pure collaboration between two geniuses.

Pushing aside the rock sound that was heavy on the last few records, ASHS is dripping with electronica. The album opens with a lengthy instrumental track titled ‘Sphere’. Guitar comes in just about half-way though, standing out against the synth and treated drums; but it seems to be more of an accent in the song.

Rather than being in front of the music, so to speak, the vocals seem to be on the same level. They’re not meant to be the profound, stand-out part of a track but, rather, something in equal harmony with every other element. Even on a track like ‘Walls’, where John is quite literally screaming out the lyrics for part of it, they don’t overshadow anything else. Josh’s backing vocals come in as a support, acting as part of the background sound.

The track ‘Communique’ is one that stands out as a favorite for me. It’s quite a bit softer, primarily Josh vocals and piano. However, there’s some sort of white noise (for lack of a better term) present throughout. Another track featuring prominent, and beautiful, Josh vocals is ‘At Your Enemies’. There’s a pretty obvious difference between his voice and John’s. It’s not a combination that you would automatically assume good things about – John’s voice is a bit rougher, not exactly conventional, yet still extremely solid. Whereas Josh’s voice is ethereal, higher, and marked by a frequent use of falsetto. Their voices sound incredible together and this album really manages to showcase that.

ASHS is a beautiful album credited to two amazing and innovative musicians. It focuses on the electronica side of Frusciante’s music while still incorporating some of the rock elements he’s best known for to a casual listener. Overall, the album is pretty laid-back and an easy listen. It’s one of my favorites for a number of reasons.