CD of The Week

For such an influential group, it’s amazing that The Great Escape Artist is only Jane’s Addiction’s fourth proper studio album. The band made their mark with the classics Nothing’s Shocking and Ritual de lo Habitual, then there was a 13-year gap before 2003’s hard-rockin’ comeback album Strays. Now we have The Great Escape Artist, putting Perry Farrell’s distinct voice, Dave Navarro’s spacey riffs and Stephen Perkins’ tribal drumming in a heavy, cosmic blender.

Jane’s have been an on-again, off-again band for years. Even though original bassist Eric Avery rejoined the lineup briefly, when Farrell & co. returned to the studio last year, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) was on bass. McKagan left after a few months of recording (and has a few co-writing credits on the new album), with TV On The Radio multi-instrumentalist/producer Dave Sitek joining Jane’s in the studio. Sitek’s sonic fingerprints are all over The Great Escape Artist. Swirling faux-strings lift the epic single “Irresistible Force” with a similar sheen over tracks like “End To The Lies.” Farrell gets personal on “I’ll Hit You Back” and “Twisted Tales,” while the Lollapalooza founder declares he’ll “never give up the underground” on the album opener “Underground.”

The new record doesn’t rock like Strays and it isn’t as multi-faceted as the early Jane’s, but The Great Escape Artist is certainly an enjoyable, solid, late career entry from Farrell and friends.