Perry Farrell
Songs Yet to be Sung
(Virgin Records)

Those familiar with Perry Farrell’s name will recognize him as the frontman of early-1990s rock group Jane’s Addiction, one of the forerunners of popular alternative rock.

Farrell was also one of the creative minds behind the 1990s rock festival “Lollapalooza.” But, those expecting the heavy guitar feel of both his old band and the festival may be surprised by Farrell’s new album, “Songs Yet to be Sung.”

What it does feature is Farrell’s eclectic tastes in hip-hop, drum-and-bass and electronic music in general.

While nothing here is groundbreaking, it’s a pleasant listen for hard-core fans of electronic music and those who rarely stray from what they hear on “Booty Club Mix ’99” before heading out to the bar.

But at the same time, this is the album’s major downfall.

While it’s a drastic change from the rock sound Farrell’s fans are used to, it doesn’t really push any boundaries as far as electronica goes.

Jane’s Addiction was a revolutionary band in its time, and Lollapalooza was a groundbreaking festival a decade ago. Of course, both are standard ideas in this era of seen-it, done-that, oh-that’s-so-five-minutes-ago. It goes the same for this album. It almost seems as though it could be upbeat dinner music for those 25 and younger.

The album is far from boring, and could provide a nice soundtrack for an afternoon of cleaning your apartment, or for a long ride in the car. In fact, repeated listening is probably necessary to get much out of the album. After three listens, I found a number of sonic nuances I missed the first time around, and the lyrics became much easier to understand - despite the electronic tomfoolery Farrell’s vocals are put through.

Unfortunately, many of the electronic additions are just that - tomfoolery. Farrell’s vocals have been among the most interesting and engaging in rock since they first appeared on a record.

With this album, he pushes away his vocal strengths in favor of making more risky music. The end result is something that’s easy to admire - a performer willing to push himself into the background for the sake of his music.

While the album is far from perfect, it’s also very far from awful. It might be mediocre considering who it’s coming from, but it may just be a step in the right direction.