New Foo Fighters album this June.

[stoopid]

Pausing my enjoyment of the new QOTSA to spend some time with the new Foos.

 

First impression  - many of the songs are formulaic.  A lot of the same transitions and breaks, and while these things could be argued as elements of the Foo's "style", it reminded me of why I've largely stopped listening to the band aside from checking out the new albums out of a sense of obligation.

 

But Here We Are is easily their best album since Wasting Light, and I understand the affinity for fans to latch on to the very overriding feeling that Taylor's ghost presides over the tracks.  But this isn't any new ground for them lyrically or musically, and if anything only further magnifies my sense of a band out of ideas/reaching and passing the point at which the inspiration and any level of experimentation in the music is gone.  I'm sure it was healing for Grohl to work on this, and for fans to hear it, but for the rest of us it's really just the same old same.  If not for the extra push of passion Grohl's injected into these songs there really wouldn't be much else to praise.

 

[some of these same observations could be applied to a lesser degree to the new QOTSA album, however there's more inventiveness and curiosity in their approach that has me already longing to go back to the album that's completely missing on this Foos release]

This is more or less what I expected, and I knew better than to buy it so they got me on this one but I won't be foo'ed again.  

In terms of comparing this to all Foos material, maybe an 8/10 grade.  Against all music ever made, probably a 6/10.  This is certainly a reflection of me finding some enjoyment here, if taking into account I would give Sonic Highways a 4/10 grade and Medicine at Midnight a 5/10.

Edited July 7, 2023 by stoopid

[stoopid]

I'm back, with good news.  

 

After getting my fill on more Haken and QOTSA, I returned to this album.  I had a song stuck in my head the other day, and finally realized it was one of the tracks from the new Foos album.  Decided on that to give it another go.  Different set of ears I guess, but I'm enjoying it much more.  Suppose this means it was a slow burn for me.

[The Analog Cub]

Album still holds up. The circumstances surrounding its creation are horrible beyond imagine, but it's going down as one of their absolute best. It's like if they re-did the first disc of In Your Honor, but the entire album is bangers instead of 2 hits and filler.

[Union 5-3992]

I'm still a fan of this months later. It's probably my favorite of theirs after the debut and Wasting Light.

[Segue Myles]

6 hours ago, Union 5-3992 said:

I'm still a fan of this months later. It's probably my favorite of theirs after the debut and Wasting Light.

Same.