In a perfect world, this first installment would be for Classified's album Handshakes and Middle Fingers, released in Canada on March 22, and released in America on March 29th - or at least that's when iTunes said it would be available for download.
However, due to iTunes being stupid and other mean words, and the fact that I don't want to review two albums at the same time, today's review will be of an album already released in full on the Foo Fighters official website, called "Wasting Light", set to fill store shelves on April 12th.
So... who are the Foo Fighters?
On the Cover: Foo Fighters
A band known for keeping grunge alive well past its presumed due-date, the Foo Fighters are a band led by singer Dave Grohl - whom some of you might know as the former drummer of Nirvana and current drummer of Them Crooked Vultures - and his bandmates: Chris Shiflett on lead-guitar, Nate Mendel on bass, Taylor Hawkins on drums, and Pat Smear on guitar. While they don't completely walk the line of grunge, preferring to keep themselves at a more conservative alternative path, their former glories and much of their former bands and associated acts crop up in their music, creating a pretty wide spectrum of sound.
Inside the Case: Songlist
(1) Bridge Burning
Starts with a pretty kick-ass build-up of sound, then climaxes and settles to form a sort-of oldies vibe, upon which Dave Grohl takes over and sings us through the song. This is definitely indicitive of some of the Foos' older albums, and it doesn't disappoint, especially in the chorus. A sure-fire repeater, and a great start to the album.(2) Rope
Intro (and the general rhythm) patterns itself a bit asystematically. More streamlined than Bridge Burning, but there are still hints and points of interest that keep the song afloat. Nice job by the guitarists in the pre-chorus, and Taylor Hawkins gets to show off a bit in the bridge. Ending's a tad jarring, though.(3) Dear Rosemary
Intro is HIGHLY reminiscent of the Dusty Springfield song "I Only Wanna Be With You" - better emphasized in the cover done by the Bay City Rollers - which certainly took me aback. In fact, the rest of the song, except for the chorus, has many similarities to the oldie classic. The song isn't too bad in any case; nothing too special, but the coincidental throwback certainly makes it a standout. The ending though feels a bit chopped. Hmm...(4) White Limo
Welcome to Burning Bridge Part 2: kickass intro followed by Dave Grohl doin' his deed. Except now he's fuckin' pissed. So much so that this almost approaches the metal-scream territory. The backing rhythm is super-awesome, but Dave Grohl's screaming might be a deterrent for whomever listens to this that comes from outside the metal circle.(5) Arlandria
Um, hi there Caligulove, what're you doing here? And then we get.... grunge! And then we're back to good ol' alt-rock, with the chant "You and what army? / Arlandria! / Arlandria!" Arlandria refers to a city in Virginia, and the state itself is acknowledged a couple of times, though the significance isn't quite clear. Still though, a nice little anthem to start off the middle portion of the album.(6) These Days
Maybe it's just me, but I get a major hippie-rock vibe from this track, due to how they handle Grohl's vocals, the simple-yet-flowing guitar rhythm, and the lack of emphasis on the drums. Of course, it's replaced yet again by alt-rock in the chorus. Not much else to say about the track. It's great, but nothing stands out outside of the adjusted style.(7) Back & Forth
Oh now this is some old-school Foo Fighters right here, with nice hints of their grunge histories. Of particular mention is Taylor Hawkins, who comes up with a nice touch of flair every now and then to keep the track interesting while still harkening back to their old styles. Good job by all.(8) A Matter of Time
While most of the choruses on the previous tracks have followed a similar pattern, the chorus of A Matter of Time seems to echo Burning Bridge in style, and doesn't quite stick to its 4/4 time signature. Intro doesn't impress, but the rest of the song makes up for it, as they allow it to build.(9) Miss the Misery
... Huh. We've apparently entered some sort of 80s metal portal here. Quite an interesting intro. Dave Grohl and his mates make it known quite quickly, though, that what we're here for is some post-grunge goodness. While it's reminiscient of many earlier songs, it doesn't disappoint. We do get a nice little surprise in its 6/4 time signature pattern though.(10) I Should Have Known
And just when the album was starting to become repetitive, we get this - a much slower, calmer piece more akin to Shinedown than most anything else. Make no mistake though, we've heard songs like this before - Everlong, anyone? Nate Mendel (bassist) can be heard quite prominently here, perhaps intentionally. A song like this was desperately needed, otherwise we would have fallen into Cold Day Memory (Sevendust) syndrome all over again, and those that keep track of my Twitter might know of my feelings on that album.(11) Walk
We wind down the album with this, the intro making it clear this is the end of the journey. The tone is different enough to keep it seperate from the rest of the album; and the bridge deserves special mention for its quality, creating a chant-like progression that's akin to Let It Die (though done a tad better). Also: "Can't you see I've waited long enough?" sings Grohl. We certainly have, bud. We certainly have.After Ejection: Conclusions
... wow. For Foo Fighters fans, this is honestly a no-brainer; a great piece of work by the gang that showcases how far they've come as a post-grunge alt-rock band. For anyone that're fans of bands like Nirvana, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Scream, and other bands of note, check this album out, and then perhaps branch off and find your likes among their other albums and songs. The repetition of styles in some of the songs - which is quite common in alt-rock - can be a turn-off for some, but to be quite honest I never felt like I was getting bored listening to this album. And Hell, I'm glad I could listen to this before the promised release-date.
RATING: [ 9 / 10 ]
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