To Record Only Water for Ten Days

Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante's third solo album isn't far removed from a demo. Taking the idea of a solo album literally, Frusciante is responsible for everything here, playing guitar over drum machines and adding occasional keyboards to the 15 songs, à la Bill Callahan's excellent Smog. The opener "Going Inside" offers promise that To Record will be an entertaining ride thanks to Frusciante's characteristically incandescent fretwork. The project is a little one-dimensional, however, hampered as it is by Frusciante's sub-J. Mascis yelp. --Mike Pattenden