Monday 11 April 2011

One of These Days...

Dave Grohl one day will actually bring out an album that will be disappointing.
BUT not Wasting Light. This album is without a doubt, the best his career has had to offer yet. I couldn't think it would have got better than The Colour and The Shape, Foo Fighters, etc. . It did, in the form of Wasting Light.


By God, is this an album to listen to. Obviously speaking as a hardcore fan here, but these are songs to walk to, dance to, scream to, and be all melancholy about. Everyone.


The album starts with the simply tremendous "Bridge Burning", a heralding start. The guitars swoop down and knock you unexpected ... then the song descends, swooping into Dave Grohl's signature scream on "These are my famous last words". His famous last words, perhaps, that this album would be the Foo's heaviest so far. It definitely is quite contrasting to say, the acoustic Skin and Bones album, with the classics. But these songs are actual thrashers. You can air drum to them, air guitar, and even do the backinbg vocals for goodness sakes! That makes a good rock song. I particularly enjoy singing to the "Burning in the ashes!" backing vocals. A start like this practically sets you up for disappointment after but then comes "Rope". I didn't particularly like this one at first, it was mainly because it was THE mainstream one, and I prefer to dig a little deeper on an album as a whole. The riff at the beginning is slightly annoying, but the mixing in this song is fantastic. What else could we expect from the team that produced Nevermind? Exactly. But this one has got some nice hooks, including the nice drum solo from Tay Tay and guitar solos galore. It soares, and it's a rock song you can REALLY sing along to, even the girls. You can almost hear Pat Smear's (formerly of the Germs, and then to join Nirvana as their 2nd guitarist in 1993) contribution, glowing as he is, the extra instrument really mellows the sound. And I suppose the sound is aging with Dave's voice, but what could you expect? They performed at Radio 1's Big Weekend for an 80 minute set, and it was like an explosion, the climax was there, the show was brilliant, and then it was over before you knew it, a path of destruction left. Dave Grohl was still the man, and the only sign of aging he shown was his clambering back upon the stage...


My grandad even enjoyed it. I say even, well really, we are the people that go to see 60-odd year old rockstars play blues. That's our thing.


All in all, the biggest and the best pick of the album have to be: 'These Days' ("Easy for you to say... your heart has never been broken") which is soon to be a smasher in terms of Foo Festival songs. If I get the chance to see them (Our father, who art in heaven...;)) THAT will be the song I'm singing at the top of my voice, at sundown; 'Arlandria' which, among the usual critiques of Foo teens on twitter, seems to be a favourite ... I featured it for purely popular circumstances; and finally, another favourite 'Walk' ("I never want to leave, never say goodbye, forever and ever, I'm never gonna die") which has some beautiful melody lines. I will also recommend 'Better Off' which is a mix between early esque Foo and Tenacious D... it's proper boy blues rock. Nice riffs, too.




Can you tell I'm trying desperately to pass my English exams?
Sorry about excess Dave lately, but it's probably because I AM JUST LOVING the sounds that he's making right now. And a bit too excited about Pat's return...





Peace, Love and Burning Bridges (in the name of a brilliant new foo record!)


riotgrrrlivesx