Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Return of the Dream Canteen.”

There’s few bands that have caught the writing bug quite like funk rockers Red Hot Chili Peppers. Six months after the band released the weighty Unlimited Love comes the follow-up: the equally expansive Return of the Dream Canteen. The band’s recording sessions with producer Rick Rubin seem fruitful. Not only is the new album 17 tracks long, but most are in the four- to five-minute range. That’s more than 75 minutes of music; quite an impressive feat no matter which way you slice it.

Sonically, the album picks up right where Unlimited Love left off, and true to Rubin’s style, there’s not a lot of extra fluff. The majority sounds like four guys jamming together in a room. It’s a rock record without a lot of polish.

Right off the bat, the record does achieve something that felt lacking on its predecessor. The funky grooves of “Tippa My Tongue” stand out with much more of an upbeat attack. The band plays tight while singer Anthony Kiedis spits out signature quick non-sequiturs in his signature cadence. It’s a far more recognizable version of the Chilis; a mature but funk-driven sound.

Even more mid-tempo jams like “Peace and Love” and “Reach Out” lock in to a better grove, with bassist Flea laying down the funky bass lines in lock-step with drummer Chad Smith. The opening notes of “Eddie” feel like a callback to Chilis’ classic “By the Way.” The song itself goes in a more subdued direction. It’s a tribute to the late Edward Van Halen, telling the story of his days on the Sunset Strip. Fittingly, the song winds down with a blistering solo by guitarist John Frusciante—a fitting tribute to the rock guitar god.

“Fake as Fu@k” finds a more dynamic tone, starting as a slow and melodic ballad before shifting into a groove-forward track. The energetic bluesy funk of “Bella” makes for one of the better tracks here. “Shoot Me a Smile” and “Handful” fall back into the same more melodic mid-tempo groove.

Dream Canteen runs into one of the same issues as Unlimited Love: the battle of quality vs. quantity. There’s nothing wrong with “Roulette” or “My Cigarette” but they don’t pack the same punch as the rest of the album. “Bag of Grins” is heavy on guitar riffs and finds its place as more of a straightforward rock and roll song, while “Copperbelly” and “Carry Me Home” fall closer to what the Red Hot Chili Peppers sound like on their last couple of albums. Blues rock with a dollop of funk.

Things pick back up on “Afterlife,” featuring another blazing guitar solo by Frusciante, while the infectious “The Drummer” is an acoustic but upbeat, punk-like song. Other highlights include “La La La La La La La La,” a surprisingly nuanced and effective ballad filled with lush and bright harmonies.  Kiedis’ delivery is quiet and understated—if only this album or Unlimited Love had more of it.

The album concludes with the spacey and melodic “In The Snow,” which features a semi-spoken rap by Kiedis.

Return of the Dream Canteen is a solid, if overstuffed record, though its highs are higher and lows are less frequent than its predecessor.  There’s plenty of quality material to go around, and then some that’s less necessary.

Follow writer Mike DeWald at Twitter.com/mike_dewald.