Chili Peppers reflective on ‘Getaway’ – ‘Johannesburg’ a rich, rhythmic romp

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The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first album in five years, “The Getaway,” is a melancholy set, even when the rhythms accelerate.

Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) sits in for Rick Rubin in the producer’s chair, bringing more keyboards than usual to the mix. The Peppers’ traits are still present, from mentions of California and Flea’s deft bass lines to Anthony Keidis’ percussive lyrics and staccato vocals.

The opening arpeggio on “The Longest Wave” may have you thinking John Frusciante is back, but “new” guitarist Josh Klinghoffer (he’s been in the band for nearly a decade) ably acquits himself throughout. However, he’s less distinctive than his predecessor.

On the sunnier side, Elton John’s piano enhances “Sick Love,” which borrows some of its melody from his “Bennie and the Jets,” while “Dark Necessities,” the album’s first single, could be late-’80s Duran Duran and “Go Robot” is RHCP in Nile Rodgers/Daft Punk territory.

Some muscular tunes arrive toward the end — a Hendrix-like guitar riff animates “Detroit,” which mentions city sons The Stooges, Funkadelic, J Dilla and Henry Ford, while gentler interludes offer a respite on the driven “This Ticonderoga.”

The Red Hot Chili Peppers take some chances and hold their own on “The Getaway,” but even in rock ‘n’ roll, time gets away.

Mumford & Sons, “Johannesburg” (Glassnote)

Mumford & Sons’ new five-song EP is a tonal and rhythmic departure from the band’s past three albums. Written with Senegalese singer Baaba Maal, Malawian group The Very Best and South African band Beatenberg, “Johannesburg” blends Mumford’s folk sounds with African rhythms and instruments with rich results.

After plugging in their guitars for 2015’s “Wilder Mind,” Mumford & Sons embrace a wider range of sounds and styles on this follow-up EP, recorded over a two-day marathon session in South Africa earlier this year.

If it weren’t for Marcus Mumford’s recognizable voice, “Johannesburg” might not even sound like the work of the Grammy-winning British quartet. Drums are more prominent than guitars. But Mumford harmonizes beautifully with Maal, who sings in his native Pulaar language.

Maal also sings in French, and the album’s closing song, “Si Tu Veux,” is a showcase for his powerful voice and multi-lingual capabilities. One track, “Ngamila,” includes barely any English.

The pop sensibilities are still present. A dramatic call of drums and layered harmonies open “Fool You’ve Landed” before Mumford introduces the notion of “downtown hair and high-rise eyes.”

Incorporating such traditional instruments as the djembe and the kora (a West African harp), the Mumford mini-album recalls other pop ventures into the musical heritage of distant cultures, like Paul Simon’s 1990 release, “The Rhythm of the Saints,” which drew on Afro-Brazilian sounds.

Here it feels like five songs aren’t enough.

 Laura Mvula, “The Dreaming Room” (Columbia US)

Laura Mvula creates her trademark festival of vocals on “The Dreaming Room,” an ambitious album full of rhythms and drama, with some songs suitable for recital halls and others for the dance floor.

The classically trained Mvula and drummer/producer Troy Miller get help from guitarists Nile Rodgers and John Scofield and the London Symphony Orchestra, among others, but the tunes rely most on her layers of rhythmic harmony and lyrics dwelling on life’s complexities. Mvula’s distinct musical world offers plenty of treasures.

On her first effort, “Sing to the Moon,” Mvula sang about playing “my own damn tune” and her second album (third, if you count a 2014 reinterpretation of her debut with orchestral backing) expands that idea with “I can only be who I am.”

“Overcome,” written with Rodgers, and “Phenomenal Woman,” inspired by a Maya Angelou poem, are the dance-pop bookends with sophisticated twists. Between them are the hymn-like “Show Me Love” (I miss belonging to someone), the Christmas carol-ly “Angel” (Is this where we part forever) and “Bread” (Lay the breadcrumbs down so we can find our way), which also evokes the “one-woman choir” skills of the late Kirsty MacColl.

By turns expressing both strength and vulnerability, life seems simple only when Mvula has a brief, sweet phone chat with her grandmother on “Nan.” But even she requests songs to “lift me spirits … jig me foot.” Now that’s pressure!

While some bands aspire to “more cowbell,” several songs on “The Dreaming Room” are enhanced with “additional harp.” It’s that kind of album and that’s just fine. (AP)

By Pablo Gorondi

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