[8/10]
It would be fair to say that new Foo Fighter’s material has been long awaited by thousands of fans around the globe. With the somewhat short hiatus over, a run of recent “surprise” gigs in the UK and the release of their new HBO series and forthcoming album ‘Sonic Highways’, fans have been not-so-patiently awaiting the return of Dave Grohl and Co. And in typical Foo fashion, to kick off their triumphant return, the fans were teased just hours before the release with the line ‘Get Ready….’.
So, does it live up to their already extensive catalogue that includes 7 albums and many epic anthems like ‘Best of You’ and ‘Everlong’. The answer’s both yes and no. Yes, it’s awesome, as the majority of the bands songs are. From the very start it kicks off with their ferocious signature sound and lyrics which could only come from Grohl himself. The song builds up to the inevitable Foo Fighter’s climax that hears him screaming: “I’m something from nothing! You are my fuse!” and “No you can’t make me change my name, you’ll never make me change my name”. Typical of their post 00’s sound, the riff is huge and slightly ‘Holy Driver-esque’, but by the end the overall sound comes to some mind-blowing moments with some funky sounds thrown in for good measure. Though no new Foo Fighter’s song is going to ever completely live up to tracks from The Colour and The Shape, it’s a damn good start.
The release of this single comes hand in hand with the premiere of ‘Sonic Highways’ which airs in the US on October 17th. The first episode will inevitably be centred around this track, which was recorded in Chicago by producer Steve Albini. Let’s hope the rest of Foo’s self-proclaimed “most ambitious album yet” really turns out to be that way.
Hannah Bradridge
