Curtain's Call
A Review on John Frusciante’s Curtains

End on a high note. Whether in case of tracks on an album, mix tape or a live performance, the final sounds often are the ones that blow your mind. John Frusciante has taken this principle, and applied it for his batch of albums released since June 2004. The closing chapter, Curtains, was released at the end of January. An album with a fitting title, it draws the curtains closed on the series of releases. Simultaneously, it opens up a curtain. It is a recording with an atmosphere that owes far more to a live performance than a studio. It opens a curtain, and draws us to a concert, right in Frusciante’s living room.

These musings contain more than mere poetic images. Truth is, Curtains, was recorded on an 8-track recorder, in Frusciante’s house. It is a step further from the stripped down recording of the previous five releases. It is also a nod to his beginnings as a solo artist, as his first release Niandra Lades and Usually Just a T-Shirt, was also home recording. As a record, Curtains is an incredibly intimate, warm and beautiful experience.

Opening his curtains, Frusciante welcomes us to his performance with ‘The Past Recedes’ and a hearty “one, two, three, four”. The song itself is a track lead by the strumming sound of an acoustic guitar. The opener shows that unlike the last release A Sphere in the Heart of Silence, Curtains presents us with John Frusciante the songwriter. The lyrics move in the elevating melody of the song, and the guitar solo sprinkles Spanish flavours. The stand out lines like “I’m disguised as a reaching hand/I’m a workingman”, captivate the listener. The reaching hand of the song pulls us deep into the world of the album.

‘Lever Pulled’ contrasts the upbeat nature of the opening, as it begins as a scorching ballade, where Frusciante’s frail vocals are the most entrancing sound. The song surprises when the electric guitar played by Omar Rodriguez (of At The Drive-In and Mars Volta fame) enter. The guitar work is excellent, because the raw sound provides new layers to the song, without stealing the central, tender tones.

‘Anne’ guitar bears similarities to Frusciante’s earlier works, such as ‘Lou Bergs (Penetrate Time)’. The unconventionally sudden changes in the guitar and the melody give the song a free, musing quality. It is like listening to the wind. Such developments keep the song constantly surprising in simplistic beauty. The electric guitar solo, backed by acoustic undertones brings the song to an emotional crescendo. It is a fantastic track, entwining many sounds, melodies and styles of Frusciante’s musical career.

“The Real” is lyrically one of the best songs I’ve ever heard Frusciante perform. With lines like “I’m going to move toward a point in time/where where you are is a state of mind” or “anytime I read your thoughts/ some of them yours and some I thought up” the song charms simply by the power of the word. However, the musical experience of the song is magical as well. Frusciante’s voice sounds like a hymn of an old soul, narrating how “every mile I walk is five”.

Curtains continues to increase the intensity of it’s sound, without becoming tense. It remains warm, while every song contains a certain lyric, sound or melody that gently fixes your ear to the intimate beauty of the album. ‘A Name’ slowly builds up and concludes in an irresistible sing along, due both the melody, and the line “eenie meenie miny moe/ it’s about time/ about time to go”. ‘Control’ works like the waves. It slowly intensifies and quiets down, until, when least expected it, Carla Azar’s drumming comes in with such force that it sends shivers through the listener. It is such attention to detail, creation of intimacy and honesty that makes the album an experience.

‘Your Warning’ is certainly a standout track. Frusciante plays both the piano and the guitar, orchestrating a powerful pop song. As the vocals produce frail, high notes over the guitar and piano, and Frusciante asks us “What’s it called when you’re married/and you’ve fallen out of love/what’s it called when the family/you raised you don’t know at all” the musical moment turn incredibly moving. It is a sad minimal ballade, with an understated beauty capable of producing tears. One of the most touching songs I have heard Frusciante perform.

‘Hope’ feels as much a visual as an auditory experience. One cannot help imagining the landscapes of water the song presents. The captivating element lies in the vocal harmonies. They take over the song from the simple acoustic tune, and give it a classic costume that makes it so interesting to listen. The details of minimal sounds of string arrangements, which echo only for a glimpse, layer the song. Like a rare flower, the song requires a lot of tending, as with every listen some new intricate sound catches the ear, making the song seem much more complex than it first appeared.

“Ascension” is another superb track. It enhances the feeling of a live performance, as it begins with Frusciante announcing that he is “just gonna do another whole way straight now”. As the acoustic guitar strums, and Frusciante sings of spiritual ascension and joyful solitude, the song takes a highly uplifting path. Tender on your ears and your soul, it is a song that invites us to smile. The result is comforting for the listener, as Frusciante depicts a life where you can do “fine on your own”.

‘Time Tonight’ is another touching, soft song. Its occasional piano and vocal harmonies form a beautifully haunting quality around the song. The melodies share this haunting quality and the song feels like a performance for the listener, orchestrated by the gentle spirits floating around the musical landscape.

The album closes with ‘Leap Your Bar’, where Frusciante sounds like he is singing to his piano, the vocal line closely following the melody of the instrument. It is an effective closing, because the relationship between the voice and the instrument emphasises the intimacy spread throughout the album. The song also represents the general tones in the album. It is sad, but it escapes depression. Instead the sadness is touching, beautiful, and thus, spiritually up lifting. Like the whole album, ‘Leap Your Bar’ is a moving experience.

How is it, then, that with all the sadness, the album remains warm and uplifting? This happens because of the nature of the sadness. The level of honesty in the emotional expression, and the intimacy of performance make the albums quiet warmth comforting. The touching, warm beauty makes Curtains the most moving of the albums that Frusciante released in the past year. The end result is a fantastic, emotional experience, and my current favourite album.

To truly experience the album close your door, and the curtains in your window, dim the lights and open the curtains to John Frusciante’s living room, to his thoughts, and to the aural beauty of the album.

By Juha Virtanen