April 12, 2011 | RCA
It would go without saying that the Foo Fighters are on the top of the list as for being on of the greatest rock bands in the last two decades. After 16 years of ups and downs the now five piece outfit is back with their seventh studio album "Wasting Light". The band started the recording process on this album back in August of last year with producer Butch Vig (Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins etc...). Dave Grohl and the band went in a different direction on this album, rather than it's predecessors this eleven song masterpiece was not recorded in a top notch studio facility, but rather Dave's garage and to a tape machine mind you. Going towards a more honest direction, the band could not rely on the ease and benefits with recording digitally. With that sort of pressure in the studio the band strived for perfection without studio magic.
Normally I would say that with most full lengths you find a handful of songs worth listening to, and the rest were obviously written as filler songs. However, this is not the case and every song on this album is just as good as the last if not better. Albums were meant to be played and listened all the way through, and If you don't do that while listening to this than you have some serious mental issues. The opening track "Bridge Burning" immediately pulls you in and doesn't give up for a minute. I think if I had to choose one part in a song to listen to as I was faced with death it would be the chorus to this song, at least thats the impression it left on me. Following suite would be the single "Rope", which begins with a great delayed guitar track with rhythm guitar overlaying the off-time tempo. At first it sounds a bit off but as soon as the next beat falls you begin to understand what's really going on and it's awesome. The song "Dear Rosemary" features Bob Mould (Hüsker Dü) singing alongside Dave Grohl. For those of you familiar with Bob's signature vocal style, its no surprise to you that the two make a great collaboration.
The Foo Fighters did it right on this album, covering many of the styles and sounds that they are known for while expanding further into new territory. With such songs as "White Limo" (an obvious Motorhead
influence) to a more straight forward and open ballad "These Days", it's no doubt that this album is all that you would expect if not more. It has an overal feeling of heaviness, and not just in the sense of tempos and meters but with the lyrics, sound and overall mood. Perhaps one of the most powerful songs on this recording; "I Should Have Known" features a dark and gloomy chord progression with multiple layering from violin and vocals to a dirty, grungy and powerful bass line from the legendary Krist Novoselic (Nirvana). The song has a lot of passion and meaning behind it, and you can tell that there was a lot Dave wanted to say with this song, and he executed it perfectly. This by far has my vote for "Best Rock Record of 2011", unless there is someone out there who thinks that they can top what Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel and Chris Shiflett have created here, in which case I highly doubt it.
Check out the Foo Fighters playing "Wasting Light" in its entirety live in their studio.
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