ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The best clue as to what makes Foo Fighters’ eighth studio album such a great listen comes from the title of their second, which came out in 1997 –The Colour And The Shape.
For Sonic Highways, Dave Grohl, Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear, Nate Mendel and Taylor Hawkins gave the album shape by limiting it to eight songs about their eight favourite cities in the US – Austin, Chicago, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Seattle and Washington, D.C. They gave the album colour by writing and recording each of the eight songs in one of the aforementioned cities – letting the literal and conceptual flavours of each metropolis seep into the songs.
Opener ‘Something From Nothing’ begins super-chill, with Grohl almost whispering the opening lines. Then, at exactly 30 seconds in, the song takes shape and builds before ending on the frantic rock-out that only Grohl and co. can pull off. The standout track, however, is ‘Outside’. Driven by icy guitar and a huge chorus, this is sure to be fan favourite.
The finale, ‘I Am A River’, is an impressive farewell from an excellent record. From a deep organ that’s caressed by a softly picked guitar, to the effortless pre-chorus, this song represents all the best parts of Foo Fighters with a little bit of extra depth.
4/5.
