I reluctantly admit that it was Spotify’s Discover Weekly that let me discover Flea’s new solo single, A Plea. It’s jazz, and it’s beautiful. There are echoes of Fela Kuti and Sun Ra in it or, well, that was my first thought.
The lyrics may sound naive at first, but they’re not. Instead, they strike me as lucid and match my general feeling about what’s going on lately, the risks we’re taking as a society, and what we should do to move beyond and improve ourselves. The video is 100% Flea, and it’s adorable (it is directed by his daughter).
Digging further, I learned that Flea has a “trumpet album” coming out next year (apparently the trumpet was his first instrument), and that Nick Cave lent his voice to one of the tracks. In the process, I also learned about Cave’s trenchant opinion of RHCP, which thankfully doesn’t prevent Cave from admiring and respecting their bassist.
I don’t care about the act of politics. I think there is a much more transcendent place above it where there’s discourse to be had that can actually help humanity, and actually help us all to live harmoniously and productively in a way that’s healthy for the world. There’s a place where we meet, and it’s love.
– Flea
I am eager to listen to the new album.