Categories : Music Reviews, Rock + Pop.
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Rating: 3 / 5 Reviewer: Kevin Hartford |
Foo Fighters are a unique band, in the sense that there’s nothing overly unique about them, and yet Dave Grohl and company continue to sell millions of albums, play stadium tours, and align themselves with members of some of the most notable acts in rock history. They’ve sold more records than the White Stripes, Flaming Lips, and Wilco combined, they’ve won more BRIT and Grammy awards than Radiohead, and yet you’d have a difficult time finding someone walking around with a Foo Fighters tattoo. From their eponymous 1995 debut to their newest release, Wasting Light, critical reception has always been highly favourable, and yet none of their albums wind up on year-end best-of lists.
Wasting Light offers the most obvious explanation for Foo Fighters’ popularity: Grohl is good at what he does. He’s an expert songwriter, as evidenced on the catchy, quiet/loud, slow/fast efforts ‘These Days,’ ‘Dear Rosemary,’ and ‘Arlandria,’ and the rocking foot-thumpers ‘Back & Forth,’ ‘Bridge Burning,’ and ‘White Limo.’ Lyrics, on the other hand, have never been Grohl’s strong suit – when he sings “Do you remember the days we built these paper mountains and sat and watched them burn?” on ‘Walk’ his words are so nonspecific they could mean anything – but perhaps this is one of the keys to his band’s success; the vocals don’t require a lot of thought. And there’s his persona: likeable everyman, hard worker, and enduring survivor of the Nirvana crazy train. He’s not showy, controversial, or outspoken, thus easy to root for.
Still, there’s something missing. Flaming Lips have quirk, Radiohead has creativity. White Stripes have cool, and Wilco has soul. Foo Fighters have solid craftsmanship. Wasting Light is a good record, and you may listen to it more than once or twice, but it’s not something you’ll spend a lot of time thinking about.
