Wasting Light
Foo Fighters
2011
RCA
It seems these days that a lot of bands are grasping at straws to draw in listeners any way they can muster. With the death of the stereo hanging over our heads, a lot of bands come across as desperately seeking uniqueness and novelty. Not the same can be said of the Foo Fighters. In times where music arrives so quickly on the internet, streaming quietly through our ear buds, Dave Grohl and his band mates have taken it back to the basics for their seventh album “Wasting Light.” They’ve taken it way back to garage sounds.
Recorded in Dave Grohl’s garage “Wasting Light” is driven by raw emotion and music that takes the Foo Fighters sound back to the old and around to the new in every way. It melds into a brilliantly crafted album that brings fans to a realm of matured and creatively navigated 90’s grunge.
“Wasting Light” is the first Foo Fighters album to reach number one on the Billboard charts. It was also produced by Butch Vig, who also produced Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” With Grohl on vocals and lead guitar, Taylor Hawkins on drums, Nate Mendel on the bass, Chris Shiflett on guitar, the band welcomed back original member, Pat Smear playing guitar. Featured guests on this album include Huskur Du’s Bob Mould, Motorhead frontman, Lemmy, and to the pleasure of Nirvana fans, Krist Novoselic.
Novoselic is featured on the bass and accordion in “I Should Have Known” a tune that seems to purge the pent up emotions of Kurt Cobain’s death in 1994. The song inhabits a 90’s low-key tone, successfully delivering the rough and beautiful sound only at-home recording can bring. With the lyrics,“I should have known./Couldn’t read the signs./Couldn’t see the light./I should have known,” it’s as if Grohl is facing an inner-battle of grief and frustration before us.
Songs on the album like the hit “Bridge Burning” and “White Limo” which features Motorhead’s, Lemmy, pack more of a heavy metal sound. Others toe the line of melodic pop-punk, and a pleasing nostalgic alternative concoction.
“Back and Forth” begins “Once upon a time/I was somebody else./In another life/I saw myself./Way back then,/back when I was new.” The song is reminiscent of toe-tapping catchy songs like “Monkey Wrench” and “Big Me” but brings something new to the table with a solid and seasoned sound, lead by Grohl’s powerful vocals.
“Wasting Light” brings the career of this talented band full circle. While staying grounded to their roots, they expand into new directions all at once. It’s clear they’ve been through a great deal and their experience is not in the least left unheard on this album.
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