To make his point, Klosterman used The Strokes’ Albert Hammond, Jr. as an example. After all of the “crazy math,” the fashionable guitarist received a Gross Rock VORM (GRV) of 27, while his Adjusted Rock VORM (ARV) was settled at 5.4. Now, arguably, this is all speculative thinking, but it seems all too fitting when discussing the Red Hot Chili Peppers at present, who return with their 10th studio album, I’m With You, and their first without John Frusciante since 1995′s One Hot Minute. In hindsight, Frusciante could garner a GRV of 36 with an ARV of 9.0; in other words, he was an incredibly valuable asset to the group.

But the LA collective has a knack for bouncing back. They’re the kings of rebounding. Frusciante swept in when previous guitarist Hillel Slovak passed away, and Dave Navarro managed to squeeze out a few hits with the boys when Frusciante originally left. Suffice it to say, they’re strong survivors. As Chad Smith told Rolling Stone recently, “We’ve been through the guitar player mill, and here we are again.” Now in lieu of Frusciante comes 31-year-old guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. The result? Anthony Kiedis, Flea, and Smith have an edge again, something their last album — 2006′s James Cameron-sized Stadium Arcadium – lacked.

“Down home country, I rest my face on your bed,” Kiedis yelps on the storybook-geared “Police Station”, which lyrically feels like a recent Bob Dylan track. Okay, so he’s still chatting up troubled, erratic girls, but at least he sounds assured. Behind him, there’s some light piano. You get the idea that the band’s “dabbling” again — which is great. Whereas 2002′s exceptional By the Way felt jarringly creative, it was mostly Frusciante’s doing. On I’m With You, everyone’s pitching in. Outside of Atoms for Peace, Flea hasn’t sounded this authentic in recent memory; on opening track “Monarchy of Roses”, the toothy wunderkind squeezes a decade’s worth of lightbulb-driven disco into one horseback riding bass line. Smith doesn’t let up, either. Years from now, fans will contend that this is certainly his album. Hell, just take one listen to “Goodbye Hooray”. Thanks, Chickenfoot.

So, what about the big elephant in the room, aka Mr. Klinghoffer? Quick answer: He’s the best replacement the band could ever want. Long answer: As a longtime friend of Frusciante, Klinghoffer still holds on to plenty of his past mentor’s work, which lends for an amicable if not confusing listen. On the saucy “Look Around” or the afternoon bender “Meet Me at the Corner”, you can’t help but feel he’s channeling the former guitarist. The wiry antics that recall Hendrix and the flashes of flamenco insinuate that he’s still not ready to be himself, which, admittedly, is probably the smartest decision. (Hey, go ask Navarro.) Still, there’s enough here to reveal Klinghoffer as an individual; you can hear it slightly in the paranoid needlework that supports “Factory of Faith” or those island-roasted acid strokes that lead “Did I Let You Know”.

What hurts I’m With You is what has plagued the last few Chili Peppers releases: Kiedis’ vocal tones. It’s unfair to think he’d still knock out melodies like those in “Power of Equality” or “Fight Like a Brave”. It’s just not realistic. But this two-pitch serving tires fast — especially for 60 minutes. Lyrically, he may be sharper, but melodically he comes off as increasingly predictable. Sometimes it works (“Brendan’s Death Song”, “Look Around”); other times it dulls the song (“Annie Wants a Baby”, “Dance, Dance, Dance”). Even when he skews left field, like say on “Even You Brutus?”, he innately clicks back into the same ol’ funk, no pun intended.

It’s because of this that I’m With You feels slighted. Instrumentally, it’s one of the stronger efforts from the band, but altogether it doesn’t do enough. Kiedis is looking in the right direction — there’s nary a use of the word “California”, thank god — but he’s still playing it safe. Actually, it might not even be a comfort thing; it could simply be that he’s worried about fixing something that commercially isn’t broken. Or maybe it’s something else. In the aforementioned Rolling Stone interview, the 48-year-old frontman discusses Klinghoffer’s work ethic, stating, “We’ll play a song, and I’ll think, ‘Fuck that is so good.’ Then I’ll look over, and [Klinghoffer is] kicking his equipment. He’ll hear one itty-bitty thing that didn’t go right with his pedals. It felt so good to me. But he wants to get it more correct.” Perhaps Kiedis should subscribe to this brand of insight. Could you imagine what that would do to Klinghoffer’s GRV? Unreal.

Essential Tracks: “Police Station”, “Brendan’s Death Song”, “Look Around”

Feature artwork by Cap Blackard.

With a new guitarist added to the fold and festival appearances lined up for this fall, the only detail missing from the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ 2011 return is a release date for their much-anticipated 10th LP. But as Rock It Out! Blog and Cluster 1‘s Sami Jarroush learned in an exclusive interview with Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, the band has circled late August as the album’s target release date. Smith also confirmed that the band is finalizing the album’s tracklist, but a title has yet to be chosen.

Above, you can watch Smith discuss the band’s upcoming album, as well as his two other endeavors — a new Chickenfoot album and a live DVD for his instrumental group, the Bombastic Meatbats.

As for Chili Peppers’ new album, Smith said he hopes to have it out by May or June, which of course jives with comments made by the band during a recent appearance on KROQ. So get ready.

“I think we’ve tracked about 20 songs already, and there’s a few more left to do,” Smith explained. “Then we’ll whittle them down to make the best record. We always cut a lot of songs and see which ones rise and which ones fall — that’s just how we like to work. But the new one won’t be a double album like Stadium Arcadium, I can tell you that.”

Smith also detailed how the Chili Peppers’ new guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer, is fitting in with the rest of the gang.

“You know, [Klinghoffer]‘s a different guy. But he’s doing great. He’s got a terrific sound, he’s very musical, he’s full of ideas — we’re enjoying working with him. Things are coming along pretty easily, so that’s always a good sign. I’ve been playing with him for over a year now, so it’s feeling very natural,” said Smith.

Regarding the differences between Klinghoffer and RZA’s best friend forever, John Frusciante, Smith said, “I wouldn’t say it’s radically different. Josh is just Josh. He has his own thing, and that’s why we love him. The sounds he comes up with are very pleasing to my ears, and I’m pretty sure they will be to everybody else once they hear him on this record.”

As for when the Chili Peppers plan to release the effort? Smith confirmed the band already has several festival appearances booked for the summer of 2011, so it “would be nice” to get it out before then.

“We probably have three to four more weeks left for cutting basic tracks. Then we’ll start doing overdubs — guitars, vocals, all the other things that go on a record. After that, there might be a couple of things to do in January. Or we could start mixing — and as you know, that can take some time. I’m just projecting and guessing, but I would say we’d like to try to deliver the album in March. We’re definitely hoping to have it out by next summer. It’s been a long time in coming.”

But wait, it gets better! Not only does the 84-year-old comedian appear on the CD, titled Rhythm Train. He also raps his way through the whole thing!

Rhythm Train, which tells the story of a train that travels around the world, was produced by Smith and L.A. kids’ singer Leslie Bixler. The record features rock, folk, bluegrass, sing-alongs, characters, and Van Dyke rapping under the moniker DVD.

“We had Chad [Smith] from the Chili Peppers lay down the beat,” Van Dyke told Spinner. “Once he starts going, you got it. He kind of drives you.”

Smith added, “I am certainly no rapper but I helped guide Dick with it the first day. It was pretty funny. He can come away with it, because it’s supposed to be silly — that’s not his normal thing. He comes from a different world, but he was up for it man.”

Don’t expect to see a Van Dyke rap album anytime soon though. “At my age, my generation, we are not particularly rap-crazy,” Van Dyke explained . “Rap has a great beat, but I swear to God, I have never been able to understand one word. I don’t know what they’re saying.”

In addition to his drumming, Smith also plays vocal characters like a pirate and train conductor on the album. “I may not be playing as hard, but I am still trying to be creative,” Smith said.  ”It’s just trying to make the songs as good as I can. That doesn’t change.”

So how did Smith get involved with the project? You can thank his four-year-old son, Cole. “He was just obsessed when he was a little bit younger, with the whole Thomas the Train thing,” Smith said. “Obviously, music is all around our house. We have instruments, I play a little guitar, a little piano; we have a drum set here and there. It’s fortunate they are exposed to it that way. They look at your hands when you’re changing chords and strumming, and they want to play the strings. I just think it touches them on a level that we as parents can’t really realize.”

Rhythm Train currently available and can be found here. Now that this side project is done with, maybe Smith can work on getting that new Chili Peppers album out already.

According to Lee, Bezerk, as the group is known, is an “exclusive project commissioned by” Guitar Center and as of now their only scheduled appearance is at the Guitar Center Drum-Off ’09 Grand Finals at Los Angeles’ Wiltern Theatre on January 8th. No word on whether this is a one-off deal, but given the fact that Chad Smith is involved in like 13 other projects, we’re guessing it is.

So, with that in mind, if you’re interested in attending the concert, tickets can currently be purchased via Livenation.com. The evening will also feature performances by Jason Bonham and Danny Carey. Stephen Perkins has the honors of serving as host.

No word on what the Peppers have planned, but the followup to 2006′s Stadium Arcadium is believed to be in the works.

Until then, Smith will be finishing up a few more tour dates with his supergroup/side-project Chickenfoot, while also releasing the debut release of another side-project, Bombastic Meatbats.

Chickenfoot 2009 Tour Dates:
08/02 – Halifax, NS @ Citadel Hill
08/05 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
08/07 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
08/08 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
08/10 – St. Paul, MN @ Myth
08/11 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
08/13 – Comstock Park, MI @ Winter Beer Festival
08/15 – Cleveland, OH @ Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
08/17 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
08/18 – Baltimore, MD @ Lyric Opera House
08/20 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Arena
08/22 – Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Hotel
08/23 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
08/24 – Boston, MA @ Bank of America Pavilion
08/26 – Portsmouth, VA @ Ntelos Wireless Pavilion
08/27 – Charlotte, NC @ Uptown Amphitheatre
08/29 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
08/30 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
09/05 – Stateline, NV @ Harvey’s Lake Tahoe
09/11 – Denvero, CO @ The Fillmore
09/12 – Grand Junction, CO @ Rock Jam
09/14 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theater
09/16 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Theater
09/17 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Pavilion
09/20 – San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station
09/21 – Grand Prarie, TX @ Nokia Theatre
09/23 – Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge Theatre
09/25 – Berkley, CA @ Greek Theatre
09/26 – Valley Center, CA @ Harrah’s Rincon Open Sky Theater
09/27 – Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater