At over a quarter-century as one of the world’s most strongly prospering rock bands, there are very few amongst us who can’t immediately recognise a Foo Fighters song. They’ve a tried-and-true, absolutely unf***withable formula: big, driving drum leads, ultra crispy guitars and that bright, buttery howl many have tried their hand at, but only Dave Grohl can truly pull off. So when the Seattle post-grungers announced their hotly anticipated tenth album, Medicine At Midnight, we all had at least a vague idea of what to expect… Then we actually heard the lead single.
Like a defiant middle finger aimed at those of us certain the Foos had settled in their ways, “Shame Shame” landed with less of an epic, concrete-shattering rock ’n’ roll thud and more of a breezy, near-unsettlingly nonchalant calm. The four-minute jam creeps along with simmering violins, understated guitar lines and a simple kick-clap drum beat that never even teases at, let alone rolls over into, the ear-splitting excess Taylor Hawkins so dearly loves to deliver. It signalled an ambitious departure for Grohl and co, at a time when OTT stadium rock would be easier to sell than ever.
Of course, there’s still a tonne of that classic Foos ferocity to indulge in on Medicine At Midnight: there’s an undercurrent of gritty dive-bar swagger on “Cloudspotter”; a punky, pit-stirring spirit on “No Son Of Mine” that has us desperate for more non-seated live rock shows; and a slick, summery hook on “Love Dies Young” that makes it a perfect closing salvo. Hell, even “Holding Poison” feels like it would’ve fit in snugly on 1997’s The Colour And The Shape. But for every classic Foos staple, there’s an experimental flair you never could’ve seen coming – like the glittery, Bowie-esque pop slant on the title track, or the pseudo-Floydian melancholy of “Chasing Birds”.
As longtime shredder Chris Shiflett fills us in, now was undoubtedly the best time for the Foo Fighters to shake things up. Motivated by a then-impending 25th anniversary tour that was poised to have them celebrate one of the most enviable careers in rock ’n’ roll history (which never actually happened, obviously), they set
