Written by Erinn Wagner
Being able to recite the lyrics Jane’s Addiction songs “Mountain Song” and “Been Caught Stealing” without hesitation is expected from someone born in the 1990’s. With the grittiness of Perry Farrell vocals and the raw rhythm of every instrument was something to notice back then. After putting out three albums between the years of 1988 and 2003, Jane’s Addiction has finally released their newest addition
The Great Escape Artist.
Making music since 1984, Jane’s Addiction has been through the ups and downs of Rock and Roll. Having two band splits already under their belt the band is coming back with full force. The sound of
The Great Escape Artist is less-in-your-face than their previous music but you automatically know that it is Jane’s Addiction. There is something different about the album as a whole. The first thing you notice is that singer Perry Farrell’s voice has lost some of that grittiness but has gained an effortlessness that sounds similar to the likes of U2’s Bono and Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Another detail of the record that is not usually heard from this band is the use of piano as a backdrop to the usual guitar, bass, and drums.
Their first single off the new record is “Irresistible Force” and, like the rest of the album, is less intense than we are used to hearing. Although there is much potential towards the start of the song, there is not much progression thereafter. The strongest songs on the album are those just before and soon after the single. Track 3, “Curiosity Kills,” has a more upbeat and dynamic sound that resembles their older music. The other song that stood out the most is “Twisted Tales” because it has more drive and the tone ranges drastically from dark to light at multiple points throughout the track. The rest of the album has the mixture of old and new sounds from Jane’s Addiction, which makes it interesting to see what direction they will go in the future.
The Great Escape Artist has a sound that fans are unfamiliar with, yet it should not disappoint.
