John Frusciante

Anyone who expects to hear chewy pop-rock on one of Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante’s solo recordings is in for a shock. His music, especially on the recent, self-explanatory The Will to Death, is dark and tortured, powered by a penchant for melodic hooks you can hear jangling a mile away. The latest is Sphere In The Heart of Silence, an “electronic” collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Josh Klinghoffer and a few guests. Though just as emotionally wrenching as The Will to Death, it can’t compare to the sound of Frusciante alone, exposing his demons. As he proves on “My Life,” all he needs is a piano and his own haunting, anguished voice, singing, “My life goes blank.”