(RCA)
, the new Foo Fighters album, honestly sounds like Dave Grohl is going insane. He whispers, he yells, he sings, all with a pure passion that few bands can replicate. And if that sounds cheesy, good, because the Foo Fighters are always bordering on clich??d arena rock. The combination of guitar driven songs with machine gun drumming and a singer who can showcase a wide range of emotion, yet still sound like he can kick your ass is what made rock bands of the '60s and '70s like The Who and The Allman Brothers Band great.
The Foo Fighters' strength lies in the transitions. Fast to slow or the other way around, either in a split second or slowly building up until the music explodes, stops and explodes again. The Foo Fighters might want to think about expanding their sound in the future, but not right now. They're on a roll, and is evidence that their simple sound is more than enough to roll out a great disc.
The CD begins with one of the better incarnations of their formula with \All My Life."" The chorus, ""Done, done, and I'm on to the next one,"" is repeated so many times that the words lose their meaning, but the repetition is essential to the song's feeling of increasing emotional disorder. It's not so much what he is saying, but how he is saying it. It is not just anger for anger's sake, but a frustration that is blowing up inside of him, leaving him determined to keep on yelling until his point gets across. These songs are his anger and depression let loose and that is why the formula never gets old: It's sincere. At least it feels sincere, and it's impossible not to feel this music.
Although these similar themes are repeated in the songs, each song is fresh enough that it adds something new. At first listen the Foo Fighters' doesn't fall into the trap of repeating what they've already done, however it does tread dangerously close.
