After five long years, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have finally released a new album, “I’m With You,” and it was worth the wait.

The band’s first single, “The Adventures of Raindance Maggie,” channels the traditional Chili Peppers sound that I grew up loving. The group even throws in a little bit of cowbell action, which makes the song that much catchier. The bass line is especially intriguing, and the layering on of the instruments culminates in a chorus that will probably be stuck in most listeners’ heads.

One of their standout songs, “Even You Brutus?” is a story about a boy liking a girl who is already spoken for (and not about anything relating to OSU’s mascot, unfortunately.) This song — which has a slight hip-hop vibe to it — could be one of the best on the album. It’s everything fans have come to expect from RHCP without relying too much on anything they’ve done so far.

Another great song from the album is “Brendan’s Death Song.” This soothing rock ballad is an ode to the life the subject of the song has led thus far and is another song in competition for best on the album. This is another song that will likely get stuck in listeners’ heads as soon as the first chorus ends, which is in no way a bad thing.

The metal-like beginning of “Monarchy of Roses” isn’t the best delivery, and the scratchy voice-dubbing is a tad overkill, but the bass guitar’s catchy rhythms almost make up for the crazy guitar that dominates the verses.

In “Factory of Faith,” we see the band channeling a collection of indie bands, giving listeners a slew of smooth verses with the right amount of slightly heavy guitar at just the right times and leaving them with a good song — just not one of the best one the album. The mini-80s dance freak-out at the end isn’t so out of place either, which is something only the RHCP can pull off successfully.

Overall, bassist Flea delivers on his amazing talent of drawing attention away from the guitar and vocal melodies, and Anthony Kiedis fights back with his ability to calm any listener with his soft, smooth vocals. This record was made to be listened to on repeat.

Verdict: 4.5 stars (out of 5)