Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways
3/5
Foo Fighters fans, rejoice!
Everyone else: carry on as you were, nothing to see here (unless you haven’t heard their sound before which is almost impossible since the band has been around for nearly 20 years). Sonic Highways, the band’s eighth studio album, is a dynamic collection of modern-alternative rock, packing in as much energy as the band possibly could. As a whole, the album is extremely similar to their previous work, which is both good and bad, since what they do is most often – for lack of a better word – kick-ass. However, after eight albums and twenty years, it’s hard to break out of the traditional and find something new that still works.
Fortunately for the Foo Fighters, the kick-ass component outweighs (for the most part) the “same ol’” factor, meaning the album is at the very least, worth a listen.
Sonic Highways was shared one song at a time up until the release (the U.S. was fortunate enough to get a full stream via iTunes over the weekend), and the first to be released was “Something From Nothing“. Groovy and melodic, the song comes complete with a punchy bass line, standard rock rhythm and an explosive Dave Grohl unleashing all he has into the final chorus, taking the song from a slow start to a big finish.
Second on the track list, “The Feast and the Famine“ steps on the gas taking the album to prime Foo Fighter quality with everything cranked to 11 all the way through.
During the production of the album (which was recorded across the states, as documented in the HBO special Sonic Highways), the band stopped to work with the Zac Brown Band in Nashville, Tennessee for “Congregation“. There is a subtle trace of country rock found in the verses and lyrics, but for the most part, the song stays close to the traditional Foo Fighters style.
The album takes a small dip, with “What Did I Do/God As My Witness“ (the southern rock style track was a little dependent on one catchy riff), the bland, staple stadium-rock track “Outside”, and “In the Clear“ (which has a minute-long part worth mentioning, but other than that the song mimics a broken record).
The final few tracks on the album bring back the level of “Subterranean” shows off the band’s progressive rock influences with the drawn out and mystical guitar chords, and the track seems to develop into a clean, standard, hypnotic loop.
“I Am a River“ takes the band to New York City, and triumphantly concludes Sonic Highways as the album’s rock ballad; the placement on the album is perfect and they couldn’t have a chosen a better song to end with.
Conceptually, the album is extraordinary, as the band travelled across the country, embracing the diverse musical influences, and sharing it with the HBO audience. Unfortunately, those influences are lost somewhere during the production of the album and aside from the T.V. special, Sonic Highways is just another Foo Fighters’ album.
