Single File: Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Dark Necessities"

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5 MEDIOCRE

 Like Radiohead, the Chili Peppers worked with Nigel Godrich on their new album (mixing here rather than producing though; that's left to Danger Mouse). Also like Radiohead, the Chili Peppers released their first new single in five years this week. ALSO like Radiohead, the Chili Peppers' new tune has a noted increase in orchestral flavour. That's where the similarities end, though, because Radiohead's new single gives me hope for a vibrant, interesting and challenging record whereas Dark Necessities is like a corpse: bloated and lifeless. Oh sure, it's passable and might even grow on me; but, if the goal was to build excitement for the June 17th release of The Getaway (complete with that horrendous cover you see to the left), this song misses by a country mile.

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