Album Review: Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways

Foo Fighters implement a vastly different songwriting/recording approach on Sonic Highways (each of the eight tracks was laid down in a different American city after the band spent a week there exploring its musical history) but, irrespective of how or when inspiration strikes, Fooeys remain one of the few bands to retain a trademark sound and their musicianship continues to astound (as expected).

Taylor Hawkins’ rumbling drumming? Check. Menacing bass undercurrent? OH, yeah. Guitar riffs that it may not be possible to replicate live? In abundance. And Dave Grohl is more virulent than ever.   

Interviewing important figures from each city opens up Grohl’s lyrical bank and the words have more impact here than on previous Foo Fighters releases. But, fear not, his screech has lost none of its maximum impact when required. Opening track Something From Nothing lures you in gradually, but before long your stink face takes hold as Grohl reaches maximum velocity: “Fuck it all I came from noTHIIIIIIIIIN’!” The What Did I Do?/God As My Witness arrangement is as dynamically epic as the best of Queen, complete with pared back reprise; it’s a little bit country and as proudly American as Lynyrd Skynyrd. Outside drops right down to emphasise bassline and cymbal-heavy drumming, guitar urgency builds and then vocals ambush back in, complete with striking chorus harmonies. And closer I Am A River culminates in poetic strings.

Sonic Highways clocks in at just under 45 minutes of angry, crucial rock’n’roll. Digest it in full. It’s a life-affirming road trip.