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Rating: Sometimes we tend to overestimate ourselves, thinking we can do everything. But that's not the case at all. Especially when working in unfamiliar fields, it's difficult to get it right the first time.
"A Sphere in the Heart of Silence" is exactly that. A very naive album, played with who knows what pretensions; it is the fifth of Frusciante's Record Collection and probably the worst.
Not that it lacks ideas, but everything here is approximate, often boring, and pointless. Making an electronic album with approximation is a contradiction. It's easy to understand how poorly conceived this album is. The underlying problem is that Frusciante has developed the habit of recording albums quickly, with ideas still in the sketch phase. As long as it was about rock ballads or jam sessions, the idea might have worked. But when dealing with synthesizers and other electronic instruments, one cannot expect to improvise.
This leads to messes like "Sphere", a tangled web, a sleepy electronic dance without the slightest artistic value, which, moreover, lasts 8 and a half minutes. "Communique" is 3 minutes shorter, but the soporific effect is the same. Josh Klinghoffer is on vocals; his passionate and anguished timbre could have been used better because the melody is fascinating, yet it finds itself in a musical desert of boredom and repetitiveness.
"At Your Enemies" is slightly better, at least it's more characteristic and peculiar. But honestly, songs like these have no reason to be listened to by anyone, they are not enjoyable, nor do they have any artistic purpose. They are just a useless blend of elements, very rudimentary ones at that. If Mr. Frusciante had played these same tracks with his Fender, the result would have been much better, at least more pleasant. "Surrogate People" is the most fitting melody, a blend between Josh's feminine voice and John's bittersweet warbles. But it's no less boring than the others. Analyzing songs like this, few discernible flaws are found, but the emotional barrenness is such that it completely devalues them. It's a mere exercise in style, poorly designed as well.
The best ideas are found in "The Afterglow", a hypnotic dance that slightly enlivens the whole, and "Walls", perhaps the only noteworthy track. An interesting electronic beat and electric shocks support the unusual anger expressed by Frusciante's inhuman screams. Added to this are whispered words, reverberations, and numerous background sounds. An excellent result, which shows how poorly conceived the other pieces were. "My Life" has nothing in common with the other songs. It is an evening ballad, simple yet measured.
In conclusion, out of 7 tracks, the truly horrendous ones are 2. Another couple leave one indifferent, and the remaining 3 are listenable. But the only truly good track is "Walls". We're sorry, Mr. Frusciante, but you are postponed until September.
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