FOO FIGHTERS – Concrete And Gold (2017)
Yeah, why not; FOO FIGHTERS. The band releases tomorrow their ninth album titled “Concrete And Gold“, and to be honest, I liked it.
Like never before, Foo Fighters mix pop choruses with power riffs on this new album, and works.
Starting with the opener “T-Shirt” — which goes from acoustic sweetness to massive Queen-styled rock bombast in a split second — it is darn good.
“Run” goes from a swirl of Beatlesque harmonies to metallic shrieking and back again, managing to always still sound like the Foo Fighters. It is part of the band’s lasting charm that it can stretch and twist into different rock styles and still maintain its own distinctive face.
“La Dee Da” pulls the Foos into protest anthems with a bit of swagger, one of the many examples of how producer Greg Kurstin, best known for his work with Adele, Sia and Kelly Clarkson, makes these songs sound crisper and more pointed.
The opening of “The Line” could have come from any 2000’s pop-star before it bashes its way back into a hard rock powerhouse.
“Concrete And Gold”, produced by noted poptician Greg Kurstin, has a distinct direction towards a more radio-friendly sound, with songs such as “Sunday Rain”, on which Paul McCartney guests, “Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)” and the politicised title track hitting targets previously missed.
Ultimately, “Concrete And Gold” proves itself to be an ideal case for a band that’s amassed a huge following interested in maintaining their heights while reclaiming the fans they’ve lost along the way. These songs operate on multiple levels — still on their surface lined with hooks, but built from the bottom-up to feel remarkably whole.
It’s good stuff.
01 – T-Shirt
02 – Run
03 – Make It Right
04 – The Sky Is A Neighborhood
05 – La Dee Da
06 – Dirty Water
07 – Arrows
08 – Happy Ever After (Zero Hour)
09 – Sunday Rain
10 – The Line
11 – Concrete And Gold
Dave Grohl – lead vocals, guitar
Chris Shiflett, Pat Smear – guitar
Nate Mendel – bass
Taylor Hawkins – drums, lead vocals on “Sunday Rain”
Rami Jaffee – keyboards
Pre Order:
www.amazon.com/Concrete-Gold-Foo-Fighters/dp/B071XF835W
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