In the midst of leaving
the Red Hot Chili Peppers
and reuniting with
Jane's Addiction
for a tour,
Dave Navarro
planned on releasing a handful of new material under the name
Spread
. Rather than progressing forward with the
material, he found himself addicted to heroin and isolated from his friends and family. On the verge of self-destruction,
Navarro
realized that he needed to clean up his life. To begin his healing process, he wrote and recorded new material, confronting the feelings and vices that almost brought his life to an end during a failed suicide attempt.
Trust No One
is an intimate look into
's macabre past, and unveils his fear of relationships and the complex feelings of abandonment, distrust, and loneliness that have remained with him since witnessing the murders of his mother and aunt at a young age. From the opening bars of
"Rexall,"
the album's first single, to the closing lullaby-like
"Slow Motion Sickness,"
's smoky tenor voice sounds refreshingly natural and polished. Instead of writing material to showcase his guitar skills, he has concocted an album of fresh and cohesive songs, featuring lush harmonies, driving percussion, and even a generous amount of electronic programming. In addition to handling vocal and guitar work and writing all of the words and music on the album,
also played bass and keyboards and co-produced it. Almost as if to prove himself to his peers as well as his fans,
has crafted a solo debut that lacks any calculated recipe for success. Instead, it exercises his true musicianship, often showing a likeness to other multi-instrumentalist/songwriters like
Lenny Kravitz
and
Pete Yorn
. Joining
for the trip is an impressive roster of guest artists, including
Matt Chamberlain
(
Tori Amos
,
Fiona Apple
),
Chad Smith
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Danny Saber
Black Grape
David Bowie
), and
Brendan O'Brien
; by playing various instruments and mixing the tracks, these musicians give
a sound reminiscent of
Stone Temple Pilots
on songs like
"Hungry,"
"Mourning Son,"
"Slow Motion Sickness."
Another one of the album's highlights is a cover of
"Venus in Furs,"
the
Velvet Underground
song that influenced
so much that he would often play parts of it during interludes at
shows. Marking the triumph of overcoming his personal tragedies,
has put together a solid and impressive solo debut that shares his questions about love, life, and relationships, while leaving the listener as anxious to find the answers as he is. ~ Don Kline