Foo Fighters return with a new album forged amid tragedy

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Foo Fighters, But Here We Are
★★★★

Foo Fighters’ 11th studio album was no certainty, but its release this week coincides with two festival performances in Germany and a combined two-day audience of 150,000 people. Even on the grand scale the group have operated at for almost three decades, these shows mark a monumental return following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins.

Hawkins joined Foo Fighters in 1997 and recorded eight albums with the band. He was also founding member Dave Grohl’s closest friend for 25 years. Tribute concerts for Hawkins were held in London and Los Angeles last September, featuring Queen and Paul McCartney.

It was amid this heavy environment that Foo Fighters secretly worked on the new album, dedicated to Hawkins, and to Grohl’s mother, Virginia, who died in August, aged 84.

Dave Grohl, on stage with Foo Fighters in New Hampshire last week. The band’s album But Here We Are is out now.Credit:

First song and lead single, Rescued, pulls no punches from the moment Grohl bellows a cathartic opening salvo: “It came in a flash, it came out of nowhere/ It happened so fast, and then it was over.”

Fans of the group’s stadium shows, including singalong anthems Times Like These and Everlong, revel in Grohl’s heart-on-the-sleeve lyrics and the band’s powerful, melodic rock ‘n’ roll.

Grohl began his musical journey as a drummer, finding fame with Nirvana, but the 54-year-old has evolved into popular music’s ultimate showman – talented, entertaining and empathetic. It’s why fans have stuck by Dave all these years, even watching their own kids become fans, too.

Rescued delves quickly and deeply into the enormous loss Grohl and his bandmates are feeling, but also offers a message about the healing power of music – a communal act the fans can share on record, and together with the band on stage.

“We’re all free to some degree, to dance under the lights,” Grohl sings, as guitars wail and the energy and emotion of Rescued builds to a mighty crescendo. “I’m just waiting to be rescued, bring me back to life… We’re all just waiting to be rescued tonight/ Rescue me tonight.” It’s a song that’s made to be played live.

Standout track Under You is catchy from the second it erupts in a swirl of guitars and feel-good energy. Grohl can growl with the best rock singers, but purr like the Beach Boys, too. Under You has that special X factor he’s made his own, and it’s played at perfect hip-shaking pace.

Hear Voices pulls back from the raucous guitar attack (there are three guitarists, including Grohl) on much of the album, and provides a dramatic shift in gears, complete with a piano outro underneath Grohl’s voice.

Put simply, the title track is ferocious. Grohl pushes his vocal cords to the limit, loudly and emphatically declaring “Arm in arm, we are forever”, after confirming in January the band “know that we’re going to be a different band going forward” without Hawkins.

Josh Freese was introduced as their new drummer with a live-streamed event on May 22, when Nothing At All was among new songs played live for the first time. It’s a further sonic reaffirmation of Grohl’s determination to keep his musical family together and united, despite tragedy.

Show Me How features his daughter, Violet, sharing vocals on a song about acceptance and moving forward after an emotional storm, while The Teacher slips into Queen ‘mock opera’ territory, clocking in at 10 minutes.

Grohl’s epic paean to his mother is about life lessons learned, gratitude and making the most of your precious time on earth. “Try and make good with the air that’s left, counting every minute, living breath by breath,” he sings on The Teacher, as a thundering wall of sound builds up around him, softens towards the end and finishes in a sudden barrage of distortion.

Overall, it’s a 48-minute rollercoaster, ending with Rest. Halfway through this final stage of the album, the band flick the switch from sparse and soothing to Grohl’s trademark, guitar-laden rock. It’s a tried and true method he’s called upon at the most difficult time in his life.

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