Review: Enclosure [John Frusciante]

Enclosure- John Frusciante

by: Sabrina G

 The best way to preface this review is a quote from John: "Enclosure, upon its completion, was the record which represented the achievement of all the musical goals I had been aiming at for the previous 5 years. It was recorded simultaneously with Black Knights' Medieval Chamber and as different as the two albums appear to be, they represent one investigative creative thought process. What I learned from one fed directly into the other. Enclosure is presently my last word on the musical statement which began with PBX."

Honestly, I can’t say it much better. The album is definitely in the vein of PBX, here meaning it’s largely electronica. To me, it sounds almost like a matured, less blatantly experimental PBX. Things are a bit heavier, which, to me, indicates a heightened level of comfort within this “musical statement.” Another thing that leads me to that conclusion is the fact that this album is all John; PBX had contributions from two others.

It’s a bit difficult to explain but the album is almost more put together when compared to PBX. While PBX is a phenomenal album, this one is just more developed. I hope it doesn’t sound like I’m hating on PBX with this review, that’s far from my point! It’s hard to describe the way I’m hearing things on this album… it’s like PBX post-college graduation. I think John’s gotten to a polished point where he’s pretty much mastered this specific sound. This album is, as he said, the last word on what started with PBX.

While I enjoyed the album on my initial listen, I had to go through it a few more times to really hear it all. The album is kind of a lot to take in. I can say that the second track, Sleep, stands out as a favorite. Each track fits in on the album, here meaning they all have a very similar sound. However, they’re all incredibly unique and each deserves some personal attention.

The quote regarding the album (specifically: Enclosure is presently my last word on the musical statement which began with PBX) is just vague enough to make me incredibly excited for what John’s going to work on next. I’ve yet to be disappointed by something that man puts out, even if it’s something I’m not the most familiar with (in terms of genre). Enclosure is, in a word, wonderful. The anticipation I felt leading up to its release was for a good reason. While it’s not one I’d rank as an all time favorite from John, it really does impress me. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but John went above and beyond. Of course, that’s expected from Frusciante. Never ceases to amaze and Enclosure is definitely one amazing album.