REVIEW: FOO FIGHTERS WASTING LIGHT

4/5

Seeing the light the older Foo's come out fighting fit.

It's crazy to imagine but in only a few years or so the Foo Fighters will be celebrating their 20Th anniversary and what a stellar almost two decades it's been for one of the best bands in the world. From their self-titled debut, to the different but decedent 'Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace', the band have released some incredible records and now lead screamer Dave Grohl, dynamic drummer Taylor Hawkins and guitar heroes Chris Shiflett and Nate Mendel are back with old friend Pat Smear to recreate some of that 'The Colour and the Shape' magic.

'Wasting Light' was recorded in Dave Grohl's garage and still this small-setting, concise classic Foo's album has come at the perfect time this Spring, right before the big Summer festivals that this band will look to headline. 'Light' is a Summer ready, bright-eyed, illuminating heater of an album that also comes when all the great legendary American band are releasing new albums to add to their book of records (see R.E and M).

From the band-leading drum-solos to Dave, this set is rock and roll Nirvana. The album title featuring, time-back teaser release 'Miss The Misery' serves as a welcome, happy return for Fighter fans after so long. While 'White Limo' (who's video features Lemmy from Motörhead) is a distorted trip and a different type of harder sound for the band which drives and pistons open their creative envelope even more. The lead-single 'Rope' however, pulls the guys back to old, familiar times and is a signature classic for a band that has engraved their names into the rock hall of fame.

'One Of These Days' is also an atypical but radical Foo Fighter's anthems, with great lines like, "one of these days your heart will stop and play its final beat". The band get deeper still, stepping further with 'Walk' a building track which is yet again hallmark Foo's stadium-ready-certified rock. While 'I Should Have Known' is a deep, atmospheric cut, which awakens the nostalgic senses and 'Dear Rosemary' is an epic lament that reaches it's full bloom. 'Back And Forth' also is a thumper of a number that takes us all places, fast and slow.

Grohl and his gang talk relationships and really say something with 'Matter Of Time', as Grohl growls "it doesn't matter much to me, if it doesn't matter much to you". The opening and closing tracks of this piece are the perfect bookends to a structured set of tracks that fit perfectly into this bands legendary library. 'Bridge Burning' is a rip-roaring, ravishing track that bridges the gap between the groups typical sound and a more experimental, instrumental one which sees the now old guys moving with the times. Whereas the aforementioned 'Walk' is the perfect finishing track for the guys to leave us away with. One of this albums and the bands best in years 'Arlandria' may as well be a bonus track as it is serves as a little something extra and a special treat from the group. It's kind of like the theme of this album; traditional Foo's but with a twist.

You can't compare these songs to tracks previous as their nothing like them, although they do fit together as a cohesive 11 song set showing us that the band have found a new comfort zone that we can all sit with. 'Wasting Light' is bright and illuminating this is something you want because this is something you should waste not. Lenny Kravitz was wrong, Rock and Roll is still very much alive. Check the bands Twitter feed or the billboards. 'ROCK AND ROLL IS NUMBER ONE IN THE UK.', 'ROCK AND ROLL IS NUMBER ONE IN AUSTRALIA', It's official...ROCK AND ROLL IS NUMBER ONE IN AMERICA !!! As a matter of fact the whole world is showing that this band are still top. I guess all that doubt was coming from the bottom. The Foo's won't change for anybody, they just adapt with the seasons. The Summer and the sound-scape of the season is here. Time to open up the curtains and let in the light. TIM DAVID HARVEY.