Album Review // Foo Fighters // But Here We Are

RCA

4.5/5 stars

The Foo Fighters return with one of their most emotional and hard-hitting records in years. This is their eleventh studio album and first since the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins, who passed away one year ago. The album kicks off with stadium anthem "Rescued" before moving into the track "Under You," both songs dealing with loss. It's a nostalgic record, sounding like a matured version of their critically acclaimed sleeper hit The Colour and The Shape. This is the first Foo Fighters record to feature Dave Grohl back behind the kit, which may explain why But Here We Are is reminiscent of the first two albums. Grohl has grown as a songwriter over the years; while here he deals with the deaths of both Hawkins and his mother Virginia Grohl with head-on lyrics, earlier material was more indirect.

The second half of the album delves into the more dynamic side of the Foos — with "Show Me How" you can hear Grohl harmonizing with his daughter Violet and on "The Teacher" the group abandons the standard song format for a ripping, 10-minute song obviously influenced by Sonic Youth, while shouts of "Wake Up " and "Goodbye" continue throughout the song. Overall this album explores how to carry on emotionally, and musically, after forced changes and still manage to come out on top.